Blood Secrets
by Truthfully-Me
Summary: Henry's past comes back to haunt him in more ways than one. Even vampires have their demons...reviews please!
1. Hunting and the Unpleasant Encounter

I do not own Ms. Huff's incredible 'Blood Ties' series nor the beloved characters we've all come to love. Therefore, **no copyright infringement is intended** so please don't sue: you wont get much

Feedback is much appreciated!

Henry gasped from his timely 'death' as the sun set at 7:12. He looked around his bedroom feeling a cold presence in the night. The past days, he felt something lurking in the city, a presence he knew but could not decipher exactly. He shook off the feeling and got dressed. He decided on a black slacks and a midnight blue silky shirt; Vicki liked that shirt and he knew it would bring a smile to her face. Henry finished his outfit with a black leather coat and headed out the door. He decided to feed before he went to Vicki Nelson's office. He picked out a club near his condo, Black Ice, and headed in the door. The music boomed throughout the club and many beating hearts pumped every so fast in his ears. He pasted a girl in the crowd, her heart beating frantically. She was young, he could tell; younger than she should have been to be allowed in this club. He turned around, spoke in his vampiric voice lowly in her ear: _Go home now; you shouldn't be in here._ He settled on a twenty-something red-haired girl; her blood sang to him, calling to his need.

He walked into the building of Vicki's office; she said she needed help wrapping up a case and needed his assistance. He was always up for helping Vicki on her cases, after all they were partners. _Hopefully something more,_ Heny thoughtVicki Nelson was a woman who challenged him, she made things interesting. She was also stubborn, hard-headed and always dove first without asking questions. Yet, he loved her for it, all of it. He was attracted by the way she smiled, laughed, her stubbornness, and her humanity - her need to always do the right thing; his own warrior of the night. As he walked up the stairs, he picked up an all too familiar, haunting scent. It was the scent of hate and vengeance; he knew it all too well. It was her, the woman who should have died a hundred years ago. And now she in the office of the woman he cared too much for.

The vampire hurried into the building and into the office. Coreen, Vicki's perky goth assistant sat at her desk, preoccupied by her continual research of the supernatural. Coreen looked up and smiled at Henry, but quickly wiped her smile off once she saw his expression

"Henry, something wrong? Vicki's just in with a ne- "

Henry was not in the mood for chit-chat. He had to now if the woman nearly five inches from Vicki was **her**.

"Coreen, who is that in her office; you need to tell me **now**"

_Well what's gotten into him? No 'Hi Coreen' or anything geez._

"Uh, yeah sure Henry. Her name is Mary Delacroix; she's looking for her d-"

The rest of Coreen's speech sounded like noise to Henry. He froze at the name; he hadn't heard that name since Paris, nearly two hundred years ago. Mary Delacroix. She was the woman that he turned in Paris and everything after that moment would go terribly wrong. He thought he killed her, but she wasn't dead. The memories too painful for him to imagine, the past started to come back - haunting him with a vengeance. His thoughts were soon shattered by the woman's voice as she opened the door.

"…Thank you Ms. Nelson for your assistance, I look forward to hearing of your progress." She turned and ran right into Henry, a look of terror, curiosity, and anger creeping up her spine and into her eyes, which now turned a midnight grey.

Within seconds, the two vampires grabbed each others throats, growling and throwing threatening glares at each other.

Shouts came from Vicki and Coreen (mostly from Vicki) urging Henry to let go, but he kept his ground. Mary should have died ages ago, and on this night, she would.

_He froze at the name. He hadn't heard that name since Paris nearly, but not quite, two hundred years ago...Mary Delacroix…and everything after that moment would go terribly wrong._

_T__**he past started to come back - haunting him with vengeance. **_

Even with his hands at her throat, she threw the vampire a devilish smile, full of deception and disgust. He well intended to kill her now, to crush her larynx and trachea with one easy squeeze.

"Henry, dear, it's been a long time. It's good to see you."

"What the hell are YOU doing here Delacroix!" Henry shouted at her. He would show no mercy this time.

"Ooh we're on last name basis, are we? Well then FITZROY, is this how you greet an old friend, your hands at my throat? You weren't this physically when we had", she bit her lip in seduction as she finished her statement "our fun." With a smirk creeping around the curves of her mouth, she released her grasp on Henry's throat, lightly pushing him back; he reluctantly loosened his grip beforehand.

Mary Delacroix was a woman of poise, beauty, and perfection. She stood at roughly five foot seven, a Russian woman with the body of a goddess. Her golden hair flowed to the middle of her back, caressing her smooth apricot skin, and mesmerizing periwinkle eyes made her seem lovely, yet dangerously lustful. The Russian beauty standing before them had the face of a goddess, but a heart of ice, and the soul of the devil. Henry loathed looking at her. Her stench seeped through the office and filled it with hatred, deceit, and deadly lust that even he wanted to resist. Henry looked at Mary and saw nothing but a hideous traitor and a deceitful, well, bitch that she was. His instincts told him to kill her, but curiosity made him wonder how she survived and what was she seeking from Vicki, _his_ Vicki.

"I see we have much to discuss Henry. I'm not here on your territory to kill you, so do not give me a reason to. You may be nearly five hundred years old, but don't think you can easily get rid of me; you found that out the hard way." Mary Delacroix may have been younger than Henry, an experienced vampire, but knocking her own experiences and training would be foolish. She was evil, he knew that. She was a witch before he turned her, trying to use her magic to keep him with her forever, tamed like a caged animal. Before Henry could speak, Vicki stood her ground between the vampires demanding answers.

"I hate to interrupt this lovely reunion, but will someone tell me what the hell is going on here? I want to know RIGHT NOW, so start talkin!"

Frustration took over Vicki Nelson. Minutes before, she was discussing a case with Mary, whose evident Russian background had no influence on her dialect, wanted to pay Vicki a fine amount to find her missing daughter. Now that she discovered that her client was a vampire, she knew the 'daughter story' was false. The four of them moved into Vicki's office: Henry chose to stand the farthest away in the room, afraid his patience would run thin. Coreen stood next to their client, eager to hear her story, and Vicki sat at her desk.

"Forgive me Ms. Nelson. I should have trusted you with my identity, after smelling Henry's scent all through this office. You've probably discovered that my case- "

"That it's a load of crap?"

Mary held back her tongue, wanting that very instance to rip Vicki's throat out for her tone of voice. She instead became calm, ready to continue her speech, but Henry interpreted; his patience ran its course.

"You should be dead."

Mary turned around slowly, with an I-cannot-believe-he-said-that kind of laugh escaping her mouth before speaking. Coreen knew there would be tension by the anger that formed on Mary's face, and found her self moving toward her boss.

Her Russian accent came out, loud and clear, as she spoke, angrier by the minute. "How dare you say that to me, after ALL we've been through, what I sacrificed for you, all I did for you, for us, and then you repay me by trying to kill me? Just who the hell do you think you are Henry Fitzroy?! Damn you to Hell!"

"All we've been through? Sacrificed for me? If I recall correctly, it was YOU who wanted to be turned. It was YOU who used magic on me, and," he stepped closer to her, his anger getting the best of him, "it was YOU who killed everyone close to me-"

"It was for your own good," she responded coldly. "You would have killed them anyway, so I just saved you the trouble."

"You're just as bad as Christina," retorted Henry. Mary sucked her teeth, becoming angrier than ever as Henry proceeded. "Trying to control me like I'm some kind of an -"

"Do not compare me to that brunette bitch of a woman or any woman for that matter! I used my gift to protect you!" Mary lost control, her temper flaring as her eyes darkened. She could take all of his angry words and wishes of death, but the comparison to another woman sent her over the edge.

"You broke the ONLY code that mattered, the one that keeps order Mary. You destroyed towns all through Europe, and I cleaned it up your mess time after time. You used your 'magic' to toy with humans, use them as puppets while…while you tortured them slowly. You are full of evil and hatred Mary. You used magic on me to keep me tamed like some animal! You forgot who I a-"

Mary was fed up. She thought after smelling his scent, she could try and patch things up between them, bringing a sense of order to a brutal past that haunted them both. She swallowed her pride and proceeded to answer Henry in a non-threatening manner, but to cut him with her words.

"You're not royalty anymore Henry, YOU gave up that title. Stop with the 'who I am' crap and STOP acting like you're better than us just because of that! I came here to look for my child, she's run loose in Canada and I followed her scent here, but I need help finding her. I guess I'm the only one who wants to stop her. Now if you'll excuse me. Ms. Nelson you have my information. If you do not want to work this case, I would appreciate an answer by tomorrow night."

Mary left, slamming the door behind her. Her anger got the best of her and Henry Fitzroy was to blame. _Oh he'll pay for the past; I'll make sure of it. He's MINE, and if I can't have him, no one will._

Henry sat on the couch, silent. No one had spoke for nearly ten minutes after Mary left. Vicki let Coreen go home early. Coreen gathered her stuff ready to go home, but found that there was nothing she would rather do than to hear the story behind Henry and Mary's strange encounter. Vicki sat at her desk speechless. _I hate that somehow __**all**__ his exes are involved in my cases. He sure knows how to pick them._ Nevertheless, she never backed down on a case, no matter how…complicated it became.Vicki stood up and went around facing Henry, leaning on her desk finding. She found herself helpless as a small chuckle came out of her mouth.

"You** really** do have the best breakup stories Henry"

However, Henry did not seem amused, only angry. Angry that out of ALL the women in his life to meet again, Mary was the one who came back.

"Vicki, this is not the time to joke. I'm leaving; I need to feed. After that, I'm going to find Mary and kill her, something I should have made sure of a long time ago. Then, I'll find her child and kill her too."

"Oh no you won't, I have a case to solve and she's a paying customer Henry." Henry raised an eyebrow at Vicki. Vicki saw his frustration and responded quickly. "Oh Henry I'm joking, goodness. How bad can she be? How can a damn near five-hundred year old vampire be scared of her?"

"You have NO IDEA what kind of woman she is!" snapped Henry. He did not mean to become so irritated with Vicki, but Mary in his presence made his blood boil. "How manipulative and evil she is; I'm not even sure if she **is** a woman, more like Satan himself. What…what she put me through Vicki, what she's done is…unforgivable. Y-you could never understand…"

Henry rose up off the couch and headed for the door before Vicki lightly put her hand on his chest to stop him, looking into his eyes, searching the man who was always her voice of reason. Instead, she saw a man full of worry.

"Then make me understand Henry."

Henry sighed, knowing he would have to tell Vicki before the return of Mary Delacroix brought devastation and pure hell to Toronto.

"It all started in 1810. I wandered into Marseilles before heading to Paris. I entered a little inn on the outskirts of the city, in a secluded and much wooded area. I hunted in the city, mainly at the Opera House and that's where I met her. She was very beautiful and mesmerizing, almost more than Christina." Henry laughed for a second, remembering the memory of the woman in the opera theater, whose scent beckoned for him to drink…

_**Flashback:**_

_**The streets filled with men and women **__**elegant attire going to the Opera House, anxious to see the opera. **__**La vestale**__** was being performed again at The Opera House by popular demand, and Henry lavished in the hundreds of beating hearts in the theater, their blood calling him. Before he went into the double doors, he stopped as one heart beat with lust, their blood screaming his name. He turned to see a beautiful goddess, a woman dressed in a Venetian red dress that clung tightly to her bosom, and her golden hair wrapped up in an elegant bun. She was obviously not from **_**Marseilles**_**, as stares and whispers escaped when she glided seductively through the crowd. She had no shame and cared not for the whispered that filled the Opera House. She looked forward to see Henry, staring him straight in his blue eyes. Henry nearly drowned in her scent of lust, his body tensing as she neared. He never sensed her knowledge of him, something he should have done.**_

_**She nearly passed**__** into the theater until Henry whispered lowly in her ear.**_

"_**I've never seen you around here, who are you?" His voice was like velvet in Mary's ears.**_

"_**Maybe you haven't looked hard enough. And I have not had the honor to meet a fine man like yourself Mr.?"**_

"_**Fitzroy, Henry Fitzroy Mrs.-"**_

"_**Miss Delacroix. Mary Delacroix." **_

"_**Very well Miss Delacroix, will you do me the honor of being my escort"**_

"_**I would be honored, Mr. Fitzroy. First let's chat a bit, away from these people; they seem to be staring at me."**_

_**The two began to walk**__**, her arm wrapped around Henry's walking to tour the theater. Mary was not married, a taboo for a woman of twenty-two, and she already had the reputation of being a scandalous woman. She seemed like a vivacious woman, who was not afraid to try new things or fall into what 'society' wanted from her. **_

"_**They are just taken aback, to see such a fine woman as yourself here tonight. I see your name is French, but you sound as if you are fro-"**_

"_**From Russia, Mr. Fitzroy yes; my father was born in Paris. We lived in Moscow for a several years, and then I moved to Paris as young girl after my father passed away."**_

_**The two were so caught up in conversation that neither noticed the music, the opera had started. Neither cared, enthralled by each other's presence; the lust calling Mary, and the blood calling Henry. Somehow, they ended up in the secluded part of the Opera House, their lust nearly overpowering one another. Henry never met such a spontaneous woman whose urgency overpowered her. Something seemed different about her, now that their bodies touched greedily in want. Mary drew out a small knife from her corset, looking Henry intently in the eyes.**_

"_**Henry," she panted to get his name from her mouth, "drink, drink my love; make me yours." She slowly cut across her breast, blood flowing from the wound. Henry was not sure what to do. Had she known the whole time of what he was? If so, what was she, a witch or some sort? He could not sense her as a threat or as something evil, but the pounding of blood screaming for him to drink was too much. He quickly licked the dripping blood. His eyes flashed to black and his fangs lengthened. Mary went into pure oblivion as Henry bit down onto her breast in their throws of their passion. Henry fell in love with her blood by the second, an elixir of orgasmic pleasures flowing into his mouth and down his throat like syrupy.**_

_**End of Flashback**_

Henry cursed himself; he never realized the mistake he made that night, no matter how pleasurable it was. He never stopped to question exactly how she knew of him, or to see if she was trustworthy, only craving her body in the night. His voice of reason left, and his body betrayed him all those years ago.

- - -

On the other side of town, a mysterious woman entered an abandoned warehouse. The empty small, once a hospital facility years ago, now was home only to lobe cobwebs, insects, and the hiding lace for the homeless. Once she entered the building, bugs fled from her sight like a plague. The homeless man didn't have a chance to flee her sight, as the woman whispered several words in an unknown language, causing him to metamorphose into a grey stone-like figure before dissolving into pure ash.

She continued to her destination in the warehouse. She'd been here before to hide her most precious item. As she entered the back room, she set her eyes on the prize: a Mahogany coffin embroidered with crimson lettering, words of magical enchantment on the tomb. She could not hear a steady sound of blood pumping or a heartbeat near. She smiled at her conquest.

Nearly fifty years ago, she stalked and tortured the young woman, turning her into a vampire against her will, and then forcing her to do her dirty work. When the young girl tried to flee, her sire drained her of nearly all her blood, leaving only a few drops to keep her alive; under her control. She safely disposed of the body into the same deep brown coffin, using her enchantments to keep the undead girl locked in the tomb, and alive. When she needed her evil to be brought upon others, she used her dark magic to bring the young girl back, using her as a puppet in her own twisted game.

She opened the coffin to reveal a very undead girl. The inside of the coffin was stained with dried blood scratches. The woman seemed amused that her puppet tried to free herself from her solid tomb, and then proceeded to look at her child. Her chocolate skin still looked alive and smooth and her hands lay crisscrossed on her chest. She wore a thin champagne gown, a delicate piece that made her look like a sleeping beauty.

The woman bent down to pick up her child, using her vampire speed to carry her to a secluded place, careful that she was unnoticed. She paced the young girl in a gutter, setting her plan in motion.


	2. Find the Girl

"Coreen, did you find anything on that name I gave you?"

Vicki decided to take on Mary's case. After all, she was a paying customer, and her landlord kept demanding payment.

"Not really…okay nothing. Ashley Bennet is not in the Toronto database, the university database; I even googgled her name but got a news story on an old woman with ten cats."

"Does that say F.B.I.?"

"Pretend you didn't see that and think of it as just a friendly secure datab-"

"You hacked into the FBI databases? Man, you are good."

Coreen smiled at that comment. She was a hard working assistant who did her fair share of research while in school. Now, she decided to go back to school and get her degree. But she just couldn't quite leave the job she loved, even though the pay wasn't great; she took online classes instead.

Vicki went into her office and grabbed the phone. She needed Mike's help on this one.

"Mike, hey it's me, I need a favor?"

"You always need something Vicki, what _Your Majesty_ can't help on this?"

"Mike cut it out, will you? I need you to check out a name for me. A client of mine is looking for her lover, and I -"

"Lover? Vicki, come on now! Well I should be glad this isn't about demons and the boogey man"

_Yeah, it's only about a vampire witch looking for her child, that's all_

"Mike, please, the woman is desperate. She thinks she ran off or even been kidnapped, so I need you to check out her name Ashley Bennett. See if she's got any priors, been seen anywhere- that kind of thing."

Mike went silence for a minute. He had other cases that he needed to work on immediately. Then again, this was Vicki, the same Vicki who would probably come down here herself and ask, and Crowley wouldn't be happy about that, at all.

He finally gave in. "Alright Vic, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Mike." She hung up the phone. Gladly, Mike didn't ask too many questions, not now anyway. And she didn't want to picture his face when she told him why she needed this name. She looked at her watch. 7:15pm. Henry would be here soon, and so would Mary. She hoped the vampires would get along long enough to find the girl and solve the case.

_I need a drink before this._

"So, have you found anything Ms. Nelson?"

Mary sat in the chair, dressed for Toronto's fierce winter. She wore a vivacious red cashmere sweater that clung to her body, with a neckline that nearly revealed her full breasts. She complemented the sweater with long black slacks and red high heels.

"No, Ms. Delacroix I haven't."

Vicki was frustrated. She hadn't found anything on the girl. No date of birth, no priors, nothing on this girl. "Are you sure she came here?"

"I'm positive; I followed her scent her. I can feel her; she's in the city close by, but she's far away.

"Oh, not using your dark magic to find her?"

Henry walked into the office, eyes fixed on Mary. He couldn't hide his distaste for her, and he didn't want to. This was his city, and she was on his terms. She smelled of jasmine, a scent that nearly turned Henry on. Shaking his head instead of jumping on Mary, he tried to refocus his attention on the real matter: getting her out of his city.

"Oh, I'm not surprised you're not in your apartment playing with some eighteen year old thing you found in an alley. You did always like the young…and stupid ones. I wonder what Ms. Nelson sees in you, all your other thing-"

"Hey, I am **not** one of his things. I'm his partner – end of story!"

Both vampires look startled by Vicki's anger. Mary found the strong smell of sexual frustration between Henry and Vicki amusing.

"My apologies Ms. Nelson. Looks like Henry can't persuade all women to his bed."

"It worked for you."

"Hey! Hate to break this up but we do have a case to solve in case you two forgot!" Vicki took of her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Having two vampires in the same room was exhausting, especially when one was your partner's ex. What was she doing here anyway, what did she want from us?

_Us? _

_So there is an us now? _

Vicki needed to concentrate, but her thoughts were nearly clouding her mind.

_Vicki, hold it together, this is no time to fantasize about your partner!_

_Or about his big, soft, and cold hands running down your face_

"Vicki."

_Or think about his cold lips pressing down on yours_

"Vicki?"

_Or his tongue licking your- _

"Vicki!"

Vicki woke up from her thoughts. She was glad vampires couldn't read minds; they might be surprised what went threw her mind.

Henry looked at her worried. "Vicki, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. When did she leave Mary?" Way to change the subject Nelson.

"She disappeared a week ago from our home in Ithaca, New York. We were arguing about moving again. My lessons for her ended about a month ago, but we decided that we could deal with the territorial instincts and live together. I told her she was getting out of control, killing anyone she thought was prey instead of taking what she needed. She was killing many students from the university and people were getting suspicious, so I opted to move her to somewhere safer"

"And by safer, you chose here?"

"No, I chose Montreal since its current resident moved elsewhere. I knew that if we moved, I could control her urges somehow in a new environment,

Mary sighed. She was getting worried about her child, wondering why she left at all.

"I don't know anymore. I should have disposed of her after the last time."

"You should have killed her after the **first** time Mary," Henry spoke, putting emphasis on his words. He knew the cost of not training a child right would be death, "it was your responsibility to care for your child, not let her get out of control!"

Henry knew where to push Mary's buttons, but so did she.

"Oh like yours were any better? I happen to remember one who nearly got us all exposed!"

"Watch your tongue Delacroix," Henry warned.

Mary stood up and got in Henry's face. She suddenly felt a wave of anger creep under her skin, creep past her neck like a hot breath and wave through her hair like a cool winter breeze. Henry would be the perfect one to lash out on, as the uneasiness filled her cup of anger more and more.

"Or what Henry Fitzroy, the royal bastard son of Henry the VIII? Are you going to drag me like an animal…throw me across the room? Strangle me until I loose consciousness? No wait, how about you just get it done so I'm dead this time Henry- slash my throat open and drain me dry? Mary went to Henry's ear to whisper a few cold, threatening words; "I didn't think so."

Vicki listened in horror at Mary's story, scared. Was Henry, _her_ Henry that cruel? Would he torture someone to that length to get rid of them?

Henry sensed Vicki's fear, and pushed Mary out of his embrace.

"Vicki I-"

"Did you find any place that she went, maybe a show, the mall, or a club?"

"Yes as a matter of fact, I smelled her at the Black Moon, but she wasnt in there."

"When did you go?"

"Last night, why?"

"Okay, well if you're not busy, we can all go now and see if she's been back or if anyone remembers her." Vicki grabbed her coat and went swiftly out the door, Mary following behind shortly. Henry was the last to follow, still upset at the aroma of fear he smelled all over Vicki. She knew he had a dark past and did things he regretted, but Mary made him out to be what he feared the most: the monster within.

"Have you seen this girl?" Vicki questioned the bouncer outside first.

"I think she was here the other night, but ask the bartenders; they'll know for sure."

"Thank you," she said for giving the information and letting her in the club with no problems.

Vicki went inside the club, but stopped; Henry and Mary had to be carded in order to get inside.

Mary went to Vicki's side and softly chuckle out loud.

"If they only knew how old I really was."

Yeah Mary, how old are you anyway? Even though you look twenty-five, I know you're not; Henry sure isn't."

"Well, Ms. Nel-"

"Vicki. Call me Vicki."

"Alright Vicki, I just celebrated my one hundred and ninety-eighth birthday last month. But, Henry here's well near five hundred and still looks like a twenty-one year old"

"It's called great moisturizer. So I think we should split up if we want to question the right people. Vicki-"

"Taking charge are we?"

"I just want to get this over with."

"And cranky! Don't worry Henry; you can snack on one of these younglings here soon enough. I'll question a couple of men and Henry can take on the ladies. Vicki, why don't you question the bartenders or anyone who you think would be the best to give information, since you are the former cop."

Henry waited for Vicki to comeback with a smart remark. It was time for Mary to get it from Vicki, put her in her place for good.

"I usually don't take directions from others, but that does sound good to me. If I need you guys, I'll ca-"

"We can sense if there's a problem; we'll be there if you need us Vicki." With that Henry escorted Mary through the crowd, acting as if they were joining in on the party. He was a little jealous of Mary at the moment. Mary takes charge - Vicki says okay; when Henry tries to say anything, she always shut him down? _What was wrong with thing picture,_ he thought?

_Women._

Vicki went straight to the bar and looked for someone to question.

"Excuse me," she got the attention of an older female bartender and flashed the photo of the missing girl, "Vicki Nelson, Private Investigations. Have you seen this girl?"

"Yeah, she was in here the other night, all the hounds were on her like she was raw meat – men."

"Did you see where she went, if she left the club or of if anything strange happened?"

"Sorry, I turned my back for a second and she was gone. I'd try asking some guys in the crowd or on the wall. Most of them are regulars here. Now please excuse me, I have to get back to work."

Vicki nodded at the woman and proceeded to the dance floor. She searched for Henry and Mary, but with her bad vision, it wasn't working out so well.

A hand grabbed her wrist and she turned around asp in toe, griping it tightly.

"Whoa, pretty lady, just wanted to talk. But if you're that kinky, we can go to the back. He licked his lips at Vicki like she was a piece of meat ready to be devoured.

"No thanks," she turned around disgusted only to be pulled by the man again.

"I'm not done with you pretty thing."

"Well she's done with you."

Henry and Mary both sensed Vicki's frustration with the man and a hint of fear. Mary nodded for Henry to help, while she continued to question more men. With his vampire speed, Henry wrapped his arms around Vicki's waist, his lips planted a kiss on her cheek, and his head on her shoulder.

"Oh sorry man, I didn't know she was your-"

"Well now you do, _now go_." He vamped the man to leave Vicki alone.

Henry turned his attention to Vicki, to make sure she was okay. He whispered softy in her ear. "Are you alright Vicki?" He still had one hand at Vicki's waist and the other hand cupped her beautiful face, looking into her soft, green eyes, "I sensed your fear."

Vicki lost her breath for a minute. Henry was close, **too close **_and_he had his body rubbed up against hers, hands gently touching her. "Yeah I'm good, thanks," her heart started to flutter at their close proximity. Henry smiled at Vicki's racing heart, thankful that her heart raced for him and **only him** like that.

The three soon left the club, glad that they were finally somewhere in the case. Mary found out from a few men that she was in the club two nights ago. And Henry also got description from a few women on the girl, matching the men's. People and seen her, but no one knew where she went, or when she left.

Now the question remained: Where did she go and where was she now?

- - -

The chilly winds of Toronto made even a vampire want to stay indoors. For the homeless, it was just another night of Toronto's winter scene. The crowd of homeless people stood around the hefty fire to keep warm.

A sense of dread and despair filled the air, yet only Annie took notice. Ever since Francine went missing, Annie constantly felt an evil presence following her. Francine may not have been the most sociable of folks, but she nonetheless nice. It broke Annie's heart when any of them disappeared or worse, died.

As she lifted her hands towards the fire, she heard a crackling noise afar. At first, Annie thought it was the fire and her mind was playing tricks on her. Then after the noise reappeared and branched cracked, she knew something was wrong.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but finding out made his death much sweeter.

Annie went to follow the noise. A teenage boy turned to notice Annie strolling into the forest, wondering what she was following. "Annie? Annie, what are you doing, come ba -"

His words become distant as Annie went further and deeper into the woods. A terrifying wind flew past Annie; causing her to cling tightly to the frail fabric she called clothing. She pushed tree branches away from her face and walked slowly, as she deepened herself into the wooded area. Annie knew it was a bad idea to be chasing 'ghosts', but the noise had bothered her so much; she needed to confirm what it was.

She went further, until she walked towards the sewer, where Francine's bloodied bag had been found. She hesitated to go in and to find where the noise had been coming from.

Her voice quavered as she called out into the darkness. "He-hello? Is anyone down there?" She knew it was idiotic to be calling for something that might not have been there, but she needed to be sure.

She walked slowly into the dark sewer, unsure of what she would find. But her worries got worse as she clearly saw a woman drenched in blood on the concrete. The dead girl seemed younger, no older than twenty-five. She was dressed in a thin champagne gown, drenched in her blood it seemed.

Annie eyes flew wide open and she opened her mouth to scream, but only air came out. Her body seemed unable to move, her feet stationary. She had to leave before someone saw her here, and maybe accuse her of this crime. Annie swore she saw the girl's hand twitch, but the shock of finding a body might play tricks on your mind. She concentrated extremely hard to find her inner strength. She mustered the courage to move her feet, and at that moment, Annie ran like a track star back to the fire.

Maybe now was the time to give the police or even Vicki Nelson a call…


	3. The Morgue

Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of the creators of the Blood Ties. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers, but I wish I was!

Chapter Notes – I kind cut in and out of scenes kind of quick so if there's any confusion for anyone just lemme know!

Donald and Maurice were working a double shift at the downtown morgue. They were graduate assistants working for Toronto's best pathologist, Dr. Rajani Mohadevan. To everyone's surprise Dr. Mohadevan took a vacation, but didn't leave until she knew that they were ready. The two men never worked this much a day in their lives, only assisting the doctor a few hours a week to further gain knowledge and experience for credit at the university.

The janitors were in the other room cleaning while Donald and Maurice put all the equipment away. Maurice was in charge of making sure the mortuary cold chambers rooms were at the respective temperature and no fluids were spilled. Donald had the task of carting the bodies away into the second chamber room.

"Ugh, I'll be glad when this night is **over; **I seriously need a beer." Donald was not happy about his task, but he needed only eight more hours to fulfill his credit hours for school. Tomorrow was his last night, and he was extremely happy.

He was so caught up in his thoughts; he didn't even hear the quiet moans and gasp that came from the front lab. Donald had one last body to retrieve, a young woman that a homeless person found last night. The police found the body in the morning and sent it to the lab, certain that the woman was murdered. Earlier that day, Donald was supposed to do the autopsy, but a strange feeling overwhelmed him as he held the knife to her chest, thoughts in his head telling him to stop his course of action.

_He forced himself to hold off until the next day to do it. But, he couldn't help but to stare at the corpse; she seemed to glow, even in death. She was a true beauty, her brown skin seemed to loose no color, and her kips seemed alive and full. He couldn't resist his urge to reach out, as his lower member ached in response. He reached up to touch her face, and move his hand down her dead body. His senses came back to him, and ran off in shame of himself for touching a corpse in that manner. His touch did not go unnoticed, as his partner watched from the doorway, disgusted._

Donald shook his head at the distasteful memory and walked back into the lab, instantly turning white as snow.

**The Jane Doe on the table was gone, missing. **

He searched high and low for the body, even asking Maurice if he moved the body. When he said no, Donald frantically searched the morgue again for the body.

He searched both sides of the table just to make sure he didn't miss any spots. Suddenly, the lights shot off and Donald felt a cold presence filling the air. Scarred, he jumped in fear, colliding his head with a standing lamp that stood beside the table. He yelped in pain as the lights flickered back on, but his fear intensified as he felt a breath on his neck.

He nearly pissed in his pants when he quickly turned around and saw his Jane Doe standing in front of him, naked and smirking. He froze in place.

For awhile, the two stood in front of each other, only Donald's heavy breathing. His mind raced like the Kentucky Derby with thoughts.

_What is she doing standing in from of me?_

_This is just a dream, snap out of it Donald!_

_She's a corpse! _

_Snap out of it and, get it together man!_

_She's dead, right? _

_Wait, where's Maurice?_ His eyes glanced around the woman to see his partner on the floor, obviously knocked unconscious.

He mumbled lowly as if in prayer. "Oh my God, this is not happening, you're hallucinating…"

"…And this is all a dream." She finished his statement with a whisper, almost sending the man in complete shock.

_She talks? What the hell?!_

He wanted to shriek, loudly so that someone - **anyone** - would come and save him from this terrifying nightmare. As he opened his mouth ready to shout, she instantly grabbed his throat to silence him.

"Are you scared Donald, afraid? You weren't scared of me when you touch me…"

_She knows my name! Oh God this is not happening.. _

She added a little more force behind her words, and slowly lifted Donald off the ground, hand still tightly gripped around his neck.

"You weren't scared when your had caressed my face, when your hand trailed down to my breast, squeezing them. What's the matter, **scared now**?

"I- I'm sorry, please forgive me, please I beg you" He said the words with near tears in his eyes, saying a silent prayer to himself.

The woman looked amused and in disgust at him who, hours prior to this, tried to have his way with a corpse.

"Why pray, you never believed before?"

Donald looked at her in amazement and fear, but became sidetracked when a slight moan came from the direction of the door, where Maurice lay unmoved.

"Go to hell you bitch!"

He regretted his words once she squeezed a little tighter around his neck, cutting his air supply down tremendously. Her fangs lengthened to show and her then chestnut brown eyes turned into lithium in a flash.

_Oh crap._

"Y-y-you're a uh v-v-vampire?" He couldn't believe those words were coming out of his mouth. _Vampires existed in the movies!_ But with a corpse chocking the breath out of him, all reason left.

"Oh no, I'm much worse than that." She brought his dangling body forth, so that she could whisper in his ear. "I'm your worst nightmare Donald." She released her firm grip on his neck, and before Donald could even move; her teeth sank deep into his neck, draining his fears, his hopes, his life.

She removed her fangs from his neck and looked deep into his frightened emerald eyes. His blood dripped from her lips and his skin became pale from the blood loss.

"Mmm AB negative. What a rare blood type in Canada; it's a shame I have to kill you for it; I'm very hungry," she said as she lifted his limp wrist to her mouth, "but first, let's have a little fun, shall we?"

He couldn't open his mouth to scream or cry; he was too terrified. A vampire was inches from his body, trying to kill him. He wanted, needed to scream but couldn't find the strength to; his body was giving up on him. She moved his wrist from her mouth and broke it with a smooth move. He finally found the strength to yelp in pain and misery, but she silenced him when she ferociously sank her fangs on a vein that called her name in his arm.

She let go of his limp arm, and Donald sank to the floor, his muscles unable to move. He tried with all his might and began to crawl to the doorway. She wanted him to suffer, suffer with fear and pain. She let him get halfway to the doorway, searching intently in the shelves. She swiftly became in front of Donald, with a butcher-like knife shining in her left hand. She set out to torture him.

Donald was terrified and raised his hand to plead with the woman, terrified of what might happen.

- - -

Maurice finally moved after what seemed like forever. He was in the back room when something hit the back of his head, knocking him out cold. He raised his head a little. Not sure what he might see. He heard screaming and shouting in his head, but shook them off as if they were a dream. His vision was blurry, but he finally managed pull his body up onto his feet. He took a step forward, and then he slipped, falling to the ground on his back. He tried to get up, but his hands slipped on something spilled on the floor.

He realized it wasn't a dream and looked in horror as his vision flooded back suddenly.

A hue of red stains seemed to suffocate the room, scattering everywhere in the morgue. Hand prints of the warm liquid were on the sinks, the lamps, and the tables, as if from trying to get away from something.

Maurice looked in horror at the sight and in more shock as he saw his naked partner on the floor, drenched in red. If he wasn't scared enough, he nearly went into shock as a steady cool breath hit his neck. Maurice turned around slowly, only to find the Jane Doe dressed in Donald's stained lab clothes.

It took him nearly five minutes to formulate a word, let alone a sound. "W-h-ho are you?" He was surprised he could move his lips, stuttering to get those three words out of his mouth. His whole body seemed to fail him, not moving an inch.

She decided to tell her name, _I'm going to kill him anyway, it doesn't matter. _

_Nothing matters anymore_

"Name's Rae, not that it matters now."

Before Maurice could even try to say something, anything, Rae lifted Maurice by his lab coat and tilted her head to look up into his eyes, searching for some kind of truth.

"You saw what he did to me, yet you did **nothing**. You are just as guilty as he is."

Maurice wanted to plead with the woman, even as she looked away from him as if looking for something. But he ran out of time as complete darkness filled him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Alright Chase, what do you got for me?" Celluci barked at the forensic assistant, who stood outside the morgue, his gear ready for investigating.

"Detective Celluci, Detective Graham; it doesn't seem good judging by way your fellow officers are looking, and looking at the blood on Colleen's gloves, it's not pretty."

The three men walked into the morgue and nearly stopped at the massacre before them.

Each man thought the same thing: _This was going to be a long day_.

"We'll we examined his body, and from the looks of it, whoever she is snapped his neck with one swift move, but we're not sure if she did before or after he was dead; the autopsy will show us."

"She? You're saying a woman did **this**?!"

"Yes, Detective. From the videotape, we could tell by her narrow shoulders…and naked body...; uh we definitely think the murderer is a woman."

"I need to see that tape Chase."

"No problem detective, Colleen's taking a closer look at what happened and what may have caused her -um- rampage."

"What would make a woman do something this…heinous?"

"I don't know Dave, but let's go take a lo-"

"Detectives, uh there's something you need to see." Chase yelled for the two men before they walked off, _this they definitely need to see._

The two detectives went over to the technician and stopped, staring at the wall.

"What the hell is that?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Ladies' Night at Ecstasy. Women everywhere dressed in skimpy outfits, stiletto boots, and low cut shirts. The men seemed extra enticed to women who decided to put on low cut shirts and short skirts, revealing more that needed to be. This was also a local hangout for the Wolf-gangs, a local bikers group who bombarded the local clubs. They were leaning against the bar when one woman came in, grabbing their attention.

She walked in like she owned the place, swaying her hips to the music. She wore a red hater dress that clung tightly to her hips. The dress barely covered her ass, revealing her black lace underwear when she sat down at the bar.

One of the bikers went to sit next to her, eying her body up and down.

She looked at the man seductively, but underneath, she felt disgusted by the way he looked at her. Instead, she chose to flirt with him, hoping a meal would come out of this.

"Buy me a drink", she said over the loud techno music, in a low seductive tone.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because", she sad then went to his ear to whisper, "I said so big boy."

The bartender said, "What will it be?"

"A beer for me James and for the little lady here, get her a Long-"

"A martini for me please, thank you."

The woman smiled, impressed that she didn't need her powers of persuasion on the man; she'd do that later.

"What the lady wants, she gets!" The bartender nodded and went to make their drinks as the two conversed.

"So, I didn't catch your name?"

"That's because I didn't throw it."

"Ooh, sassy aren't we?!"

She gulped her drink in a flash, eating the olive so seductively she had the man licking his lips.

"Come dance with me big boy."

She took his hand and led him to the dance floor, swaying her curvy figure to the booming techno music. They danced together like a love song, the melody of their bodies flowing together in perfect sync. He found it a little hard to keep up, as his dance partner moved her hips and body like an exotic dancer, quick in movement, but sensual to the touch.

The two began kissing like a man and his mistress, aching for each other's touch; soon his lower member grew in anticipation and need. She felt him grow and kissed him harder, with more desire in her body.

They somehow ended up outside of the club, laughing and kissing heading toward his bike.

"Let's…go back…to my place," he said planting kisses in between words. He started to kiss her neck and his hands roamed all over her body. She moaned in response, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying out in pleasure.

"Mmm," she moaned in his ear, wnating him to feel her lust, "I can't wait that long," she said, dragging him to a dark spot of an alley. She pushed him against the cold, wet wall and started to unzip his leather jacket. She ripped his shirt, eager to have him here and now.

"Wow, you're in a hurry little lady."

She snickered at his comment and pulled his ripped shirt off his broad shoulders. She started to slowly kiss his wonderfully shaped chest. He grabbed her chin and attacked her warm lips, wrapping his arms around her waist. He removed his lips from hers, and started to suck like a pro on her neck. She did the same, slowly licking and leaving butterfly kisses on his neck. She heard the pumping of his blood, calling her name with intensity. Her fangs began to lengthen and she let her fangs graze his neck.

"Wow gorgeous you're kinky huh?" Hewas turned on by this voracious lust from the woman and was hard, excited by her passion.

She removed her luscious lips from his neck and went to whisper in his ear, "You have no idea."

Without warning, she bit down on his neck and silenced his cries by placing her hand over his mouth. He tried to wiggle from her grip, but she was too strong for him.

His blood flowed in her mouth like honey, sweet like heaven. She could feel his lust, his fears, and his thoughts as his blood flooded her hungry mouth. She could feel his life slipping away; she didn't want to drain him completely but she was extremely hungry. Thoughts of her past, the guilt that she built a wall around began to cumble. Her mind danced as she drank his blood. _Is this what I'm reduced to? With I ever be free from this Hell I call life? Have I finally become the monster I fear so much? _She decided to stop feeding. She licked his wounds away so no suspicion would arise and let the man slide down the brick wall onto the concrete ground.

Voices from afar filled the air; it was time to leave, and soon. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and looked at the man on the ground, pleased with her hunt, yet disgusted. She walked away from the bleeding man in the alley, pulling off her wig and throwing it to the ground; remorse or not, she laughed wickedly at her conquest.


	4. Oblivion

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the characters of Blood Ties, but the original content is mine so don't sue please!

_**SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO POST – I've started back school this semester so my chapters will come slowly but surely; I haven't forgot guys!**_

_So this chapter is a three parter; Should be interesting…. I know there are a few mistakes…__So feedback is good to point those things out__ so THANKS!_

The cool air brushed past her cold skin, bringing comfort to her tattered soul. She stood on the roof, overlooking the city of Toronto, the heartbeats of loving couples walk below, the erratic sounds of dogs barking in a distance. One thing she truly wanted to hear was her heart, and the shattering of it unwinding and breaking once more. Her nature consumed her like a drug, bringer her deeper into an eternal thrill of killing, bringing fear into her very soul. She killed out of hate, hate of the night, hate of what she has become, and the hate that life is empty, with only her and the other controlling her very being.

"_Name's Rae, not that it matters now."_

She knew it wasn't wise to tell Maurice her name; he was just prey, apart of the petty existence of man she preyed upon. In the mist of her hatred for man, she saw nothing but goodness in Maurice. She intended, and instructed by her master, to kill him, and made every attempt to make it _look like she did. _She remembered last's night's events, satisfied she could grasp the beast within to cease, if only for a moment.

_With her hand gripping his neck, she looked into his eyes, seeing the pain in his eyes and the desperation. She flung him to the ground, knocking Maurice unconscious. Beginning to walk away, she saw that a photograph fell out of his pocket. She bent down to pick it up, curiosity getting the best of her. She knew she had to leave and kill again, her master wanted al least three dead before the sun rose. She turned over the picture and looked at the joy of Maurice…and looked to the left f him at a little girl with french braids, wearing a white skirt and a sparkling pink and white shirt with the writing Daddy's Little Girl. She felt a painful tug at her shattered soul, and felt guilty for her action. The beast was slowly sinking down and her lost humanity came to the surface. _

_Her decision was in haste, to gather all his belongings, his unconscious body, and car keys in a flash so the camera above wouldn't capture her movements. She found Maurice's car, a beaten up red 1999 Ford Taurus and sped out of the morgue parking lot. She rummaged through his bag to find his wallet, glancing through anything that resembled an address _

"_Hmm, 167 Clark Lane."_

_She knew where to drive. Toronto was a city she was familiar with, yet why she wasn't sure. But her mind allowed her to venture through the city, making four right, and three lefts to Maurice's house. _

_She arrived, unsure of her next move. It was getting late, too late; sunrise would arrive in little than an hour. She decided to just leave him in his rusted car, avoiding making too much noise to awake the neighbors of the Charlemagne Hills community. _

_Before leaving, she made sure to erase his memory. She whispered like the wind in his ear, sure her words would affect his mind effectively. _

_'You will forget the horrors you seen tonight. You do not remember Rae; you went home early to be with your child. Remember that there are things in the night beyond your comprehension; do not be afraid Maurice, just remember. And protect your little one; she will bring good things upon this earth.'_

_She shut the door and fled to the only place she had to live, with her master._

She smiled sadly; glad she made the choice to spare at least one life. She felt pity for him. Se killed people before, who had family and love. For some reason, sadness filled her, relishing on the thought of him. People were just prey, a nature forced upon her at a tender age. But she saw in him what used to be in here, a sense of hope in this cruel world.

She vaguely remembered her family, what they looked like, how they were. She knew they were close, by the bond she felt towards her mother as she tried to find her after her turning. Most of all, she remembered, remembered the night when her life ended:

_Nothing could be better than the endless memories of her wedding. Meeting in a small chapel outside the city limits of New York, she joined the love of her life in a secret holy union, with only a few relatives and friends, away from the one who made her life miserable. Things were perfect for Rae and she knew that everything would turn brighter for her._

'_I have the best man in my life, a beautiful daughter, loving friends and family and a new life ahead of me.' _

_She needed this, a new positive factor in her life. She moved all her things to a new city, to escape the pain of her old life. A year prior to her wedding day, Rae met a woman Marion in her evening art class. They hit it off as friends, only meeting at might, puzzling the young Rae. , But coldness existed in Marion that shook Rae, but shrugged it off. Marion fell in love with her knew friend, loving the way her long hair echoed as the wind blew through it, the way her body moved in whatever she wore, and the way she spoke elegantly, like the troubles of the world had no effect on her. Soon, she became too close for comfort with the young woman, and what turned into a friendship soon became a deadly obsession._

Her long eyelashes fluttered in the darkness. Her body ached beyond comprehension and her head started to spin in circles. She stretched her body, feeling the comfortable silk sheets beneath her. She froze in place, feeling around for something, anything to give away where she was lying. These were not her sheets; her white cotton sheets were not as comfortable, but affordable no less. Reality hit her like a tidal wave; this was not her bed. If she was not at home in bed, with her husband, she thought, then where was she. Her vision was crystal clear, but the darkness still made it hard to perceive the objects around her, the burning black and crimson candles on the ground, and the soft chant music melodically filling the silent, cold room. The events of the night before flashed so quickly, she didn't seem to piece together exactly what occurred. Then, screams filled her eyes, pleas of sanity and forgiveness screeched her delicate hearing, along with the flow of dogs barking, people walking and chatting, their hearts pounding ever so lightly in their chests. The sounds of a group beating up a child echoed, with the shouts of a drunken man yelling at his children, along with the cries of ecstasy from a distance, women filled with the melodic sounds of their partner's release bringing solace to their aching hearts.

The sounds bombarded her delicate ears, and the swarm of the beating of hearts, the blood pounding, as if seducing her ears watered her mouth. She sat up frightened of the sounds, the screams, and her dry mouth thirsting for blood, and the horrors as the night before flashed in her mind: her husband yelling at someone, Rae pleading with the woman to leave, the slash of skin against her husband as he fell to the ground groining in pain. That night's events were all a blur. Rae knew someone killed her husband, who she wasn't sure.

_She made Marion leave that night, yelling that she wanted her out of her new life, and Marion left heartbroken. The next thing she knew, her husband lay in a pool of blood in their living room. The door was opened and a frightening cold chill came into their warm home. She went to him, felt no pulse, and ran to the phone to notify the police. In a matter of seconds, something attacked her from behind, dropping the phone from her small ears. The excruciating attack felt like eternity, as if someone was ripping her throat apart, bringing her body into a state of utter darkness. The phone was left off the hook, and the police heard the painful screams and then nothing._

_Nearly two weeks after the nights of her horrific turning, Rae escaped from her sire's sanctuary, unable to look at the new nightlife ahead of her. She wanted to kill her self, afraid that her family would hate what she's become. She went to her family's home and discovered an empty home. When she saw that a man walking his dog pass the house, she ran to him, pleaded know the whereabouts of the residents of the home. He told her that he heard they moved to Toronto too live with relatives after the death of their daughter. He didn't recognize her, since he just moved in a week ago, but as the woman walked away, he would never realized he spoke with the dead._

Rae lived was an oblivious one, filled with emptiness at which nothing would fill the contents of her soul. Ignorant of the potential harm to fellow vampires by unneeded exposure, unaware of the damage that she's done to hundreds of families, and to herself. But most of all Rae knew she was forgetting the good-natured, sassy student with the mindset that life was full of all good things. She was oblivious to herself.

She wished to let the sun grave her dead body, let its rays take her away to a place of contentment. Nothing mattered anymore. She died too soon to spent time with her loving husband, who died because of her foolish decisions to trust a stranger years before. She died too soon to explain to her family and lived ones her feelings for this woman, but her commitment to marry a man. She cursed herself for the lack of seeing through the facade of the woman, to not trust her instincts when things changed course. But she loved the woman as her friend, who gently, and made her feel like a person. But, her manipulative ways and possessiveness soon turned Rae away, she wasn't sure when things started to change, but soon Rae was being followed by the older woman, being begged like a secret lover to stay with her, that she could give her eternal love and a life no one could imagine. She touched her hair, which now resembled a bob cut, longing for her long hair to flow on her back once more.

She wasn't sure where she would be going after this life, but she said a silent prayer anyway, wishing God could forgive the beast within. She kissed the pendant that hung from her elegant neck, and kissed it silently, praying she could one day reunite with her the daughter, who carried her heart.

Rae went down the stairs form the roof, and entered the warehouse once again, the place that she and her sire stayed in for their time in Toronto. She hated this, always having to hide in an abandoned building or warehouse to hide from suspicion. She came into the partially lighted room, where she saw her sire reading ancient books.

_Probably spell books thought the young vampire._

The witch didn't look up from her spell book, feeling the presence of the young one enter the room. She spoke to the young woman dressed in slacks and a hooded shirt in front of her. She chose to give her 'normal' clothes and a fresh haircut so that she would fit in, deviating all suspicion.

"And where were you this evening, my child?"

"I think I'm old enough to take care of myself, so I do not have to explain myself to you." She said coldly, tired of the worthless hunting escapade she was living.

Her sire looked up from her book, staring intently at her young child. "If I wasn't for me-"

"If it weren't for you, I'd be married, old with grey hair, and ten kids!"

_Okay maybe three; ten's pushing it._

"Is that what you want?" Her sire rose from her chair, putting the book down and spun her body around Rae. She looked at her irritably that her child complained about her life yet again. "A world filled with boredom and of complete disdain? I gave you life, the chance to experience decades of change, nightlife, and history unfolding. You will stay inside until I tell you to leave; we have much to do before we leave-"

"No, I want to leave now. You will release me like you promised me."

"Who said anything about that?" The older vampire looked curiously at her child, wondering what she was thinking.

'_Leave?' The witch chuckled to herself, 'She'll never leave me; I've made sure of that'_

"You promised to set me free, I WANT MY FREEDOM!" She spat out, her temper getting them best of her once again.

"And then where will you go, the elder said, halting the young one's step, "your family is gone, probably dea-"

"No thanks to you I suppose, since you killed my husband and my life, now I'm stuck as a bloodsucker forever."

Her sire looked deep into her eyes, and came up with a plan. If she was really going to hit Henry where it hurt painfully, she would need Rae's help. But Rae wanted to leave, but she wouldn't, couldn't leave if she thought Henry was the cause of her the ultimate pain.

"What if I told you that Henry is the reason your family is dead, the reason your life is gone"

Now it was Rae's turn to remain silent. She never met Henry, all she knew about him came from her sire; that they were lovers, he was the one who turned her, and ultimately abandoned her, only teaching her the basics to survive. So how did she fit into all that?

"He found out I was alive and came trying to kill me. He must have saw me go into your home that night, and must of killed James looking for me-"

Rae fumbled over her words, unsure of what to say. "But..wh- no NO! You said he was after you, what do I have to do with your past?"

"He wanted to hurt me, so he hurt you. By the time I sensed him, he left your house. James was already dead on the ground and he attacked you. You were on the floor in a pool of blood dying; I had to do something, I HAD to save you Rae!"

Rae was in a state of disbelief. She couldn't sense that her sire was lying, but her story did make sense, all the missing pieces to that night's puzzle, the scent of hate on her sire form Henry. Anger boiled deep inside her skin, never becoming this angry in her life. Tears were pleading to come down her trembling face, but she held her control. She wanted to save her anger for the one named Henry; he would have pure Hell t pay, she would make sure of it. Nothing could make her more furious, but the older vampire knew how to push her child's buttons, and one last blow would do it.

"He killed your daughter Rae, that's why you cannot find her. I found her body and burie-"

Her felt the chills sweep up her spine when she saw her child's face slowly rise from the ground. Her eyes went from a brilliant chestnut to a cold silver glare; a glare of nothing but death in her eyes with blood tears trickling down her cheeks.

Success.

The witch succeeded in pushing her child to the edge, and she was damn near falling from it. Rae had pure hatred in her eyes; she looked as if she would rip her to shreds. Her plan was now in full throttle and she almost felt bad for Henry and Vicki.

Vicki.

She almost forgot about the blond P.I. She liked Vicki, but a price was on her pretty little head, and the older vampire lavished in the thought of being the one to kill her off.

Poor Vicki, she thought.


	5. Obsession

**Chp 5 part 2 **

**So no copyright infringement indented folks. All recognizable characters are of Blood Ties, but I do have rights to mine! **

Henry worked diligently on his next series, mostly because he loved the art, partly because his editor would kill him if he didn't finish the graphic novel, again. One drawing of a man eating beast somehow became Mike, one became an older couple he saw walking down the street, another became Greg the doorman, and another drawing became Coreen, the fearless quirky assistant. And lastly, trying to make up a hero for the series, the character morphed into the beautiful Vicki, a warrior queen. Henry became increasingly frustrated and scrunched up each sheet, throwing each to the ground.

Finally Henry decided a much needed break was long over due. He headed to his black leather couch, resting his tired hands and body for a moment. He closed his eyes for a minute, thinking the break would help delve into his imagination. Before he knew it, his dreams overtook him.

He awoke suddenly, as if an epiphany came to him. He went to his drawing board, sketching faster than the eye can see of his new series of Victory fighting an evil witch.

A familiar scent filled his nostrils, the scent of sweet jasmine and honey. He rose form his seat to find Vicki nearly inches away from his face. He was startled by her appearance, but glad to see her here, in his apartment, inches away from his face.

"H-hey Vicki." He felt like an idiot, sounding like a fifteen year old boy finally getting the courage to speak to his crush, then fidgeting over his words.

"Hi yourself", she replied, her heart increasing with a passionate song that filled Henry's ears.

"What are you dong here Vicki, is it something about the case?"

"Now can a girl just come visit her favorite vampire now and then?" Vicki smirked at Henry. She reached for the scrunchie in her hair and pulled it out, letting her golden-brown licks hit her shoulders as she walked towards his couch. She laid her body down, and hair sprawled out underneath her, like this was something she did all the time.

This wasn't like Vicki, at all. The Vicki he knew was far from irrational; first she let him get close to her, 'invading' her personal space as she called it. Now she was lying on his couch comfortably, like it was something she typically did.

He hesitated, but made up his clouded mind full of thoughts to sit in the chair directly next to the couch, to examine her. He needed to know he wasn't dreaming, or that this wasn't Norman again. He wasn't sure what to say, so he just thought he'd go from the fist thing on his mind, the case.

"So did you get any new leads on the girl?"

Vicki lifted her head a little from the couch and stared at Henry seductively.

"I didn't come here to talk about the case, Henry", she said, slowly raising her entire from the leather couch. She rose up and started to slowly walk her way behind Henry. "I came here for you."

Definitely not Vicki.

"For me?"

"Yes silly", she instated on accentuating her S's, which nearly drove Henry off the edge. He squirmed in his seat because for once, he felt…uncomfortable. Vicki's overwhelming sexual side was coming out, once Henry was not prepared for.

Vicki knew Henry could here her heartbeat; almost feel the blood pounding in his delicate ears. She wanted him, needed him to feel her all over. Her body ached for his touch, her hands long to grasp his…body and other places, and she longed to do just that anywhere, maybe even everywhere.

"Henry?"

"Yes Vicki?"

She brushed her warm lips against his right ear, whispering like she was telling him a secret. "I need you; I want you now." She was firm with her words, yet seductive, all the while claiming his earlobe into her mouth.

Henry nearly died in the chair, overcome by Vicki's conformation for her need for him, and her lips devouring his ear. She started to go down to his neck, leaving butterfly kisses in every spot. Henry decided not to move, to let Vicki do what she wanted with him, the every thought sending his mind over the edge and in the water. He didn't think he could become aroused this quick, but the very sight of Vicki made him want to jump on her and take her. She began to suck on his neck, a spot vulnerable to Henry. He closed his ears, and relaxed in the pleasure Vicki was giving him. He enjoyed it so much that he didn't realize that he had stopped, and was now standing in front of him.

He opened his eyes to find his beloved Vicki smiling, lust filling her precious eyes and unbuttoning her shirt. The beast in him wanted to jump up, sweep her off to the bedroom, and have his way. Instead, he decided to enjoy the view, and wait to see what Vicki planned to do. He sat there, taking in Vicki's beauty He love her so much, more than he thought he could love another in a long time.

Their first kiss was sweet, gentle, and full of passion. He felt Vicki put her all into the kiss, as did he. He could feel not only the blood pounding, but her heart pounding, for him. He felt the love every time he placed his lips on hers, every time he heard a low moan coming from deep within.

Somehow they ended up on his luxurious bed, showering each other with devout kisses. This was a Vicki he never had experience with. She was gentle, loving, and…laughing. Henry kissed his way down her neck, down the gap between her breasts, and to her stomach, sending Vicki into a fit of laughter. It was obviously a sensitive spot for her, her laughter made Henry overcome with joy. He lifted his head to look into her eyes, but say shades of periwinkle.

To his surprise, it was Mary's body he hovered over, and a smile danced on her face. He wanted to be angry, furious that she was in his bed, but his body gave into her touch.

She kissed fiercely him, reminding him of the joys and pleasure she brought to his body. Her hands clawed its way to undue his belt and Henry's hands went to her bra, ripping it reaching in the confinements of it. Mary moaned in response, grabbing his head to hers for a demanding kiss, bloody kiss. She pushed in on his back, and instantly she was straddling him.

Henry stared at the woman straddling him, resembling neither Mary nor Vicki. It was their missing girl, staring down at Henry with passion in her eyes, her long hair resting on her narrow shoulders. Her hand reached behind Henry's head, pushing him up forcefully into an insistent kiss. She sucked on his lower lip, licking the blood off his lip from the bruise she created.

He wanted-needed to stop, but his body wanted the touch, welcomed it. Her skin was soft to the touch and her lust-filled kisses brought Henry into another state of pure ecstasy. The blood coursing through her veins sounded like a sweet melody inside, and Henry craved to taste it. The young vampire grabbed his hands and pressed them against her breasts in want. He grabbed her succulent breasts, rubbing his thumb across her hard nipples. She threw her head back in pleasure, her moans escaping her mouth loudly. She laid her head on his shoulder, showering his neck with licks and kisses. She came up to his ear, and whispered softly into it. But this time, it wasn't Vicki's sweet voice he heard, but an unfamiliar one.

"_My love..."_

Pain erupted and she sank her glorious fangs into his neck.

He woke up violently, eyes black as coal, and fangs ready for attack. He searched his drawing space, his living room, all over the apartment to make sure the threat was gone. He even searched under the couch, lifting it as if it weighed nothing, flipping it over onto the ground.

_Get a hold of yourself Henry, it was just a dream_.

Henry knew something was wrong; his space felt tampered. He frantically searched again, even going as afar as searching his bathroom. One he got in, he stopped at the mirror, examining his face. His complexion was pale, more pale than usual. He searched his body for marks, scars, anything that would give away the strange feeling that overwhelmed him.

_Come on Henry, you're just a little hungry_.

He shrugged of his ridiculously thoughts and laughed out loud, relieved that it was only a dream. Henry walked out of the bathroom into his cozy bedroom when he saw froze.

_That's impossible_ he thought as he slowly took steps backwards, turning around slowly to gaze at the mirror.

Not even bigger than two freckles were identical puncture wounds near his shoulder, hitting the vein on his neck.

Rage overcame and the beast within emerged. He was furious beyond comprehension, throwing his fists against the mirror, shattering it to pieces. Blood dripped on the counter, as he looked down at his bloody hands, but the cuts on his hands healed quickly.

He needed to calm down.

He really needed to feed, so he went to put on his shirt, grabbed his jacket and was entering the elevator before his door even closed.

-----------

Her blue eyes snapped open in the darkness. She woke up startled by her dream, so real she wondered if it was reality for a minute.

It felt so real, so alive. She could still feel Henry's hands caressing her body, his lips devouring hers. Vicki could still imagine the pull of her shirt coming off, the pants coming down her lower body and the press of cold lips on her swollen breasts.

She closed her eyes for a second, still remembering the vivid dream. Vicki could still feel their intensity and it scared her how far her mind drifted that far.

- - - - - - -

Henry walked the streets of Toronto, the foggy city filled with young people heading to the clubs, old drunks walking seemingly for their next buzz, and predators in the shadows. He was that predator, fixating his need on the hunt, and nothing else that would cloud his judgment. He stopped a shy distance away from the Play, the hottest new club in town. Henry could hear the pulsing blood miles away and knew this spot was his hunting ground for the night

Bon appetite.

- - -

The music flared like an open flame, filled with gorgeous skimpy dresses, stiletto boots, and lust filling their bodies. Henry walked in like a Prince, pleased that most women noticed his entrance and their hearts thumping with passion. He wore a velvet dress shirt and black slacks, a look that may seem simple to some, but enticing to women all around. His silky shirt opened just a little, showing only a potion of his chest hair and crucifix around his neck. He weaved in and out of the crowd, searching for a new body to feed off of tonight.

Her blood sang to him tonight, and he knew she would be his entrée for the night. She wore a tight, red corset top, a black miniskirt, fishnet stockings, and red pumps, leaving little to the imagination. Her eyes caught his attention, taking his hand and leading him to the long fence that made the club's back wall.

"Henry." He said, knowing it would answer her first question. He used his right hand to stroke her face, then her neck, and down to her exposed cleavage, building her passion for him more and more.

"What's your name?" He said, whispered in her ear seductively.

"Destiny," she said, nearly moaning from the way he looked at her, the sound of his voice rolling of his touch, and the ache of need filling her body. She pulled at his belt buckle to draw him near, ready for whatever course of action would take place. As he got closer, her blood pounded louder, begging the beast to take his prey.

The taste of her blood calmed his soul, and made all his worries away. He liked the young ones, their blood fresh from toxins and waste. As he released his fangs from her neck, Henry used his salvia to heal the wound, but froze suddenly. The beast nearly rose to the surface, Henry had to use all control to keep it down. Another vampire was in the club, on **his** territory.

"You will not remember me or tonight. Go home now!"

His hypnotic voice vibrated through her ears, and she walked of in a bit of a daze, like she had awakened from a blind dream. She rubbed her neck from the nagging sting, but shrugged off the pain and left the club.

Henry's eyes searched the dance floor and the beast within sniffed out the intruder. He used his vampiric speed to search the young one out, unnoticed by any of the young people dancing up a storm. He caught her scent, turning around slowly to still the vampire. He turned his attention to see a woman near the gated walls, dressed in a tight fitting, black strapless dress that barely covered her thighs. Her body swayed to the booming music in the speakers, and she threw her head back in pleasure. A man behind her gripped her hips, easing her movement with his large hands.

He needed to turn his attention elsewhere, to the one invading his territory. But his face grew red with rage as he stared intently at the enticing vixen, as a drip of blood dripped down from the corner of her mouth. Their eyes locked and the young woman smirked and licked the blood from the corner of her mouth slowly, and he could hear her moan at the taste.

Henry rushed to grab the woman leaning on the gate, but his speed could not match hers as she was gone from the fence, leaving her unsuspecting dance partner in a daze. He frantically searched for her across the dance floor, pushing the man out of his path.

The beast wanted to kill her for straying on his territory, but the _man_ wanted to know more.

Henry spotted her familiar scent near the fence, his eyes watching her move through the fence, gliding her fingers over the twisted wire. He was instantly in front of her, the only barrier between them being the fence, which Henry thought about ripping apart to get to her.

Her hands gripped the fences shaking it, as if enticing him to seek her immediately. Her luscious hair flowed as she turned her head, making Henry conflicted once more with killing her or kissing her. She laughed at his conflicting emotions, her smile revealing two sharp fangs, letting Henry know she was up for the kill. The young woman signaled Henry to come to her using her index finger, as sign to bring him nearer, as if challenging him. Within seconds, she disappeared, his eyes following her every move. She retreated to the dance floor, her hips moving with precision to the club banging in the background. She signaled him to join her, as if a dance could settle her bad judgment for coming into Henry's territory unwelcomed.

This was more amusement, a cat-and-mouse game she wanted before tearing his throat out.

And Henry made sure to play the game right, and win.

----------------------------------------

They moved like two lovers through the crowd, gasping each other tightly and dancing with fierce intent. Little did those watching know that they two were masking the dance, only faking in attempt not to kill each other in a very public outing.

Henry would purposely groped her tightly, sending light shocks of pain in her arms

His eyes never left hers, as he was dead set on why she was on his territory

"Come on vampire, I know you can do better than that."

"You better be lucky I haven't killed you already", he said coldly grabbing her neck, but making him appear to be sensual to defuse his anger.

"Ah, that's not the first time I've heard that love. Tell me, do you really want me to go?" The music's crescendo resounded though the club speakers brought the fire into her body, the intensity hitting Henry like a forceful hand.

"One this is all over, you will leave immediately; you cannot stay here." He put emphasis on his words as he brought her to him, inches away from his face.

"Aw Henry, you don't love me anymore?"

"I never loved you." He made his point clear and coldly, halting even the young woman's step in motion. She stopped dancing, feeling the shame engulfing her rosy cheeks. She fought off the urge to cry fight in the middle of the dance floor, but held all back. Her expression quickly changed to that of regret and anger. She kept her feelings inside, feeling the deepest hurt by his comment.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Goodnight, my Prince", she said, her voice full of sadness. She kissed his cheek quickly before whisking away from his side and out of the club entrance.

She was his **obsession**, the air he breathed and the blood he craved. Like Christina, her power overwhelmed him, and the beast within surrender to the powerful woman who controlled him. Mary knew what she was doing, using her own powers of persuasion to succumb Henry into the erotic pleasures of her dark world. He was enticed by her desire, feared her magic would overpower his need, his life. She nearly took the beast, holding him captive until the man begged for mercy.

_**His torment, her obsession. **_


	6. …and the Oxymoron

_So no copyright infringement indented folks. All recognizable characters are of Blood Ties, but I do have rights to mine! Sorry it's been awhile, but I'm back!_

"Hey Mike what's up? A little early for you to be out isn't it? What Crowley giving you the day off?"

"Haha funny Vic. Anyway, I just got a new case, and it has your name written all over it."

"Oh, how so?"

Mike laid the folders out on the lighted table, scattering the pictures around. Vicki came over to look at the files, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Around 1 am this morning, a homeless woman called in, said that she found a body in the sewers-"

"Near the homeless park in the wooded area?"

"Yep. The team found the body; she was dead by the time police arrived at the scene, way dead. An African American woman, late teens, in a wedding dress covered in blood." Mike handed Vicki the photo of the woman in the morgue. She looked at intently, her memory referring to a picture she looked at earlier…

"So what else is there? Just a dead body, come on Mike give me somethin' good."

"Well, if you let me finish", he said smirking at Vicki.

"Yah yah yah, continue on Captain Fantastic", she said walking from the table to pace around her office. Something about Mike's case bothered her, more than she would ever know.

"Around 10am this morning, a custodian called in a murder in the morgue. One of Dr. Mohadevan's assistants", he said while sliding the picture of the man out of the folder and held it up towards his old partner, "was Donald Chambers."

"Donald? As in Donald, the pale looking kid from the morgue?" Vicki walked towards Mike to examine the photo.

"Ouchy wa-wa."

Donald had severe cuts all over his body, bit marks on his neck and chest, and an ear apparently…missing.

"Yeah, but that's not all."

_That's not all? What more can their possibly be?_

"Chase was dusting for prints over in the corner and found this", he said, handing Vicki the crime scene photo.

"What is **that**?" She squinted, trying to read the inscription. It was a type of language she never knew exited, painted like a mosaic on the walls of the morgue near the body. Vicki was trying to decipher the display, maybe old French or Latin? Mike read her thoughts and proceeded.

"I don't know Vic, I have no idea what it means. Geez, no one knows for that matter," he said, grabbing it from her hands and slamming the picture down on the table. He started to pace around the room, which Vicki knew was his way of calming down.

"I mean we got Chase to look into; he thinks it's in old Turkish, Amid thinks it's old Gaelic and Russian; no one knows what it is Vicki, and it could be the key to finding our mystery woman!"

"Mystery woman? Mike what the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a mystery woman who tortured that attendant last night. Colleen did a body count to make sure it wasn't a hit; a body's missing."

"What do you mean a body's missing?"

"I mean the woman in this photo, Vic. She's missing from the morgue, and we think she's our killer; Dave called her our killer corpse."

"He would come up with that. But how do you suppose thit's her, I mean what woman could do this much damage to a guy almost three times her size."

Mike interjected. "Size was never an issue for you." She had to smile at that comment. When it came to anyone, Vicki Nelson was fearless, and triumphant in all the battles she fought, well most of them. "The security camera's caught a glimpse of her on tape throwing the victim's body to the ground. Then it gets blurry from there, because one minute she's there the next…"

"…She's not." Vicki finished his statement right on cue. She quickly examined the crime photos again, trying to imagine what person would do that to another.

"I mean Vic, we've seen some pretty gruesome cases, but this is a woman who looks barely looks eighteen torturing a guy like that to death, and the other one-"

_Another one?_ "There's another one? I didn't see his picture in her-"

"Because he's not in there. His body wasn't at the morgue last night. He clocked in for the day around 4:42 P.M., but he never clocked out." We went to investigate, and we found him in his car unconscious. He's in Lakeview Hospital as we speak."

Vicki was stunned at Mike's new case. A murder in the morgue with a tortured tech assistant found dead, a missing assistant, and a corpse was missing. Vicki tired to piece all the clues together. Some reason, she had a feeling her case was related to Mike's. Mary needed to find her lover, who disappeared a week ago and came to Toronto within the last few days. Mary felt her child nearby at the club, the same club with the murdered man. The murder happened last night. She just had to…

_No, it couldn't be. _

_Girl's body in morgue missing. Description matches Ashley Bennet. Her body's now missing…_

_That's my girl_.

She hesitated telling Mike what she was thinking. But rationale sat in and she knew he had to know what was going on and what they were dealing with, before things got worse.

"The girl you're looking for could possible…be my client's lover. She been looking for her for about a week and a half-"

"Whoa, wait a second. Her lover? Vic, this kid just walked out of a mor-" He paused; he had to be missing something in this conversation. "Wait a minute, what aren't you telling me, Vicki?"

He stopped, reexamining his case, what Vicki was saying about hers; they had to be connected, but Vicki was hiding something, something big by the way she fidgeted with her hands. But the lack of eye contact gave it away..

"Well, do you want the truth or -" Vicki was tired of Mike staring and gave in; he had to know.

"Spill it Vic.", he said crossing his arms over his chest, waiting for an explanation.

_Well there's no turning back now Nelson; he's going to know anyway._

She breathed a little, trying to figure out a way to prepare Mike, so she planned to just spill it and leave nothing out.

"Okay here's where it gets…weird. My-client-just-so-happens-to-be-a-vampire-witch-and-she's-looking-for-her-vampire-child."

Mike stared at Vicki for what seemed like hours. Even when she sped through her explanation, Mike understood every word. He stood almost motionless, taking in all the information. The only word he seemed to hear played over and over in his mind:

Vampire.

Witch.

Vampire.

After what seemed like forever, he sighed heavily, rubbing his head, his eyes, and then his entire face.

_My case just had to have some supernatural thing to it._

"Vic, don't do this", he protested, motioning his body to her couch.

You wanted the truth Mike, and now I'm telling you. She's a vampi-

"No, I do not need another bloodsucker."

She ignored the continuous dislike he had over vampires, _Henry in particular_. Somehow she knew Henry's name would be mentioned at some point…

"So what's the bastard Prince think of all this? Some kind of vampire convention in town he's not telling you about?"

_And there it was_ Vicki thought; Mike usual rant about Henry. Vicki rolled her eyes, grabbed her jacket and told Mike she was leaving to get coffee, slamming the front door behind her.

_This day could not get worse._

Sunrise came earlier than Vicki had expected, as she spent the day getting her mind of her case. After her encounter with Mike this morning, she decided to get coffee at her favorite place, Big Moe's. With the payment from the Donald's case last week, Vicki came to the conclusion that she needed to indulge, to treat herself. A trip to the mall and hair salon made her day.

As she left the salon, she figured that since she was on that side of town, might as well visit her favorite vampire. She took a cab to his apartment building, greeting Greg, the nerdy doorman at the entrance of the complex. He smiled at Vicki, still envisioning her that red silk robe almost a year ago.

She knocked twice, already knowing he sensed her when she came. She knocked twice lightly, waiting for Henry to answer the door. She stood tapping her right foot on the carpet until the door opened wide.

Henry opened, sensing her the moment she came off the elevator, elated that she came over, missing her

"Did we have a date?" He leaned on the door, and Vicki took in his appearance. He wore a white cotton button down shirt, unbuttoned to reveal his well-built chest, and black slacks on. Vicki couldn't help but look, envisioning him walking to her, all the while undoing his belt and throwing it on the floor. She quickly snapped out of her fantasy and walked past him.

"Yeah you wish", she said talking off her jacket as she entered his living room. He went to her, taking the coat from her hands and hanging it up. He turned around and stared, taking in the sight of beauty before him. Something was different about her; she seemed…happy. Her hair was straightened and worn down. She seemed to have on a new outfit, wearing a v-neck powder-blue cashmere sweater on and comfortable jeans on that hugged her every curve.

"Well, did I pass?" She said in her usual, sarcastic tone, hand on hip.

"Very much so, if I may say so myself", he said, with his usual princely smiles displaying.

He stretched his hand out, as if offering Vicki a seat. She took that as her cue to sit down, took her shoes and made her comfortable on his couch laying her legs on the leather.

He went to her side, lifting her legs and placing them in his lap. He started to rub her feet, sensing the tension surrounding Vicki.

"Tough day?" He asked as Vicki slipped into a state of serenity, leaning her head back.

"No not really. I had two clients come in for check ups of their cases, and then he came in. God he can be so-immature sometimes!"

"Detective Celluci I presume." It was more of a statement then question. He knew and grew tired of Mike, but put up with his smug attitude for Vicki. If it wasn't for her, Mike probably would have been…well who knows.

"Yup, he came by with a case and of course you ended up in the conversation, as usual." She was tired of Mike going on about Henry and the danger he 'put her in' as Mike put it. She knew they were jealous of one another, but the school yard boy act was getting on Vicki's last nerve. Instead, she wanted to enjoy one evening with no fighting ad no cases. She just wanted to be in Henry's company.

- - -

"Are ya done yet?"

"If you would lie still, maybe I could."

"Whatever."

Vicki grew tired of lying in one position on the couch; her arms hurt from supporting her body, and she was ready for Henry to finally get it done.

"Please Henry, I'm ready come on!"

"Are you sure Vicki?"

"Yes Henry, let's just get this over with already."

"Fine Vic, I'm finished." He set the pencil on the table and the pad face down against his chest.

"Finally! I thought that would never end." She was relieved to move her arms, stretching out like a feline stretching from its afternoon nap. She removed the hand that supported her and sat upright. She left her glasses on the table, as she went to approach him.

"Art takes time Vic." He said, raising up to put his sketch in his drawing area.

"Yeah, well you should hurry it up. Uh where do you think you're going mister; let me see it."

"Let you see what?" he said innocently, stopping in his tracks.

"Oh no you don't. I've been lying down on that couch for almost an hour. I wanna see the finished product." She walked towards his, almost inches away from his body.

"If I show you, what will I get in return?" he responded, a devilish smile escaping across his lips.

"Yeah you wish buster", she said reaching out, trying to get the sketchpad out of his grasp.

"Nope, I don't like to show my…personal collection."

"What, did you draw me naked or something?"

"No, but if you would like a more intimate portrait, I'm more than willing," he said, entangling his hands in her hair bringing her body closer to him, "to see that happen."

His last words were almost a whisper, seductive words sending Vicki's heart racing. She knew he could hear the sound of her heart beating and the blood pumping profusely. Her body wanted to give in; wanted his touch, his lips in placed she dared not to speak of, and his love filling her body up till the point of explosion. She needed, had to focus, yet all her focus began with his cerulean eyes staring into her soul, his beautiful pink lips moving slowly while he spoke, and his sultry voice making her hot and full of desire. Her body was failing her, more and more keen to just taking Henry and doing things to him…

She did something he didn't expect. She reached for his head, grasped some hair and pulled him to her, her greedy lips devouring his. He responded instantly lavishing in the thought of Vicki finally giving in. After a year of many hints, flirtatious gestures, stolen kisses and hidden looks, she finally wanted him, all of him.

Vicki loved the way his lips overpowered hers and the way his hands gripped her body. Her hands seemed to roam all over his well-built chest, pushing his shirt away until it lay on the floor beside her feet. She became aggressive for a second, and pushed him into the leather chair. She straddling his lap and made her mouth become one with his again. This time, their kiss became more genuine and passionate. Vicki put all her emotions into the kiss. Vicki Nelson wasn't great with words, especially not with her feelings, so she tried to invoke all her emotions for Henry in that very moment. She wanted him to know that he was more than just her partner, and wanted him to be more than a friend. Up till now she wasn't completely sure how she felt exactly, but Vicki knew she wanted this more than anything and wouldn't want to be anywhere else but with Henry.

Her body seemed to mold with his; a perfect match. His hands went to the hem of her sweater and slid upwards, feeling her creamy warm flesh against his hands. She released his lips from her hungry lips, and proceeded to shower his jaw line and neck with kisses. He began to move further up, cupping her full breasts into his hands. She moaned against his neck, sucking hard on it as he rubbed her nipple lightly.

He moved his neck form her lips, finally having contact with her eyes once more. Her eyes looked disappointed that he stopped her, but soon her expression softened. They took a real look at one another as if searching one's soul, and finding the love and tenderness evident in each other. He continued to stare at her as her puller the sweater and tank top over her head, never breaking eye contact. She reached to tug a piece of hair behind his ear, smiling shyly at him. He took a hold of her hand, and started to kiss upwards, from her hand to her wrist, from her wrist to her arm, and to her shoulder bone. He made his way over, using his tongue to lead a trail to a pulsing vein in her neck. Her blood sang to him, but he wanted to love her body first. Henry continued teasing her neck with licks and small kisses. He made his way down to her chest; leaving butterfly kisses everywhere his lips could touch. His hands gripped her body close to him, and his lips became more intense on Vicki's flesh. He pushed her bra up, and showered her left breast with his hot mouth. She couldn't take the teasing anymore, so she slammed her lips against his, deepening their kiss. Her kisses became more intense as she nipped at his bottom lip, sucking the blood from it.

As he showered her breasts with his hot mouth, he looked up in hope of seeing the pleasure he had given his beloved Victoria. Instead, Henry opened his eyes to see Mary straddling his lap in a pink push-up bra, smiling cunningly. He closed his eyes tight, and opened them to find Vicki, her eyes closed from the pleasure he was giving her. He shook off the déjà vu feeling he received, and continued to lavish her breast with his mouth.

"What's wrong my love?" Mary's voice resounded in his ears. He couldn't take the vast sensation of pure love, lust, and fury filling his body. It took a lot of control for Henry to rise above the beast and calm down to prevent Vicki from going any further.

"Vicki stop." He grabbed her hands from his chest, gently pushing her from him. He rose from the chair and went out to his balcony. The overwhelming images in his brain made him distracted. He wanted to be kissing Vicki, giving her the passion she deserved…but he couldn't. He didn't know if the images were of his own or Mary trying to weaken him again. He just couldn't take that chance.

"What's wrong?" She stood up curiously looking at him, while pushing her bra back down and pulling her tank top back on.

"Nothing, I... I just don't think it's a good time."

_Not a good time?!_ She didn't know how to respond to that. She became angry because the time she finally gives in, he doesn't want her. She felt embarrassed, so she went to where her sweater was thrown, and angrily put it back on.

"Vicki, please just trust me." He couldn't tell Vicki of what was going on, what he was experiencing. He couldn't tell her of the things, the torture Mary put him through, and the visions he knew she was planting in his brain.

By the look in his eyes, Vicki knew something was wrong. There was a sense of anger, hurt, and worry in his eyes that she couldn't shake off. She went over to him, and gently placed her hand on his cold cheek.

"Tell me what's wrong, Henry?"

He tried to look away from her, tried to block out his emotions, but her touch was not helping. In from of him was the woman he loved, the woman he so desperately wanted to spend his eternity with, _of only she had that_.

"It's about Mary isn't it?" With the mention of _her _name, anger arose in his body, and his eyes slipped into a dark state. She reached for his shoulder, but he shrugged her off harshly, walking back into his condo from the balcony. Henry walked into his living room pacing the floor, mumbling under his breath words Vicki could not make out. She walked to reach out for him, but he instantly grabbed her arm, his black orbs staring maliciously at Vicki.

"You think you can control me again Mary!"

"Henry!" She was shouting trying to get his attention. He obviously thought she was Mary, and wanted to get out of his grasp before he took it any further than verbal abuse.

"You think you can use your magic on me, lock me up again like some animal! Do you know who I am; what I can do?!" He squeezed tighter on Vicki's arm, making her whimper in pain.

"Henry, please…"

He finally looked at her, really took a hard look at the woman before him, as Vicki's features took over his image of Mary. He immediately let go of Vicki's arm and walked away in shame.

"Victoria, I-I'm s-sorry I don't know what..."

Vicki smoothed her clothes out and prepared to open her mouth for a fight. She wanted to yell, kick, and scream. But she knew that wouldn't help the situation. She was so wrapped up in her case, and never took the chance to ask how Henry felt about it, how difficult it would be for him to be around a woman who obvious brought so much pain into his world. And his action tonight proved just as much.

She finally found her voice and began to speak. "Henry, it's oka-"

"No!" he shouted as the black engrossed his cerulean eyes, "no Vicki it's not okay. There's no excuse for my behavior; I hurt you."

"No, really Henry, I unders-"

"No! You can never understand….what she did to me was…inhumane. She t-tortured me, she made me beg for hours…" His voice was filled with pain and resentment.

She was shocked by what he was saying. Anytime, she would have loved to hear Henry, the all- womanizer-vampire, beg for something, anything. But what she was hearing was horrible, cruel for anyone to stand. She needed to make him understand that it wasn't it fault.

"Henry, I'm sorry." She spoke almost above a whisper, only him being able to make out her words.

He slowly turned to face her, curious to know what she had to be sorry about. He was the one who grabbed her, hurt her. He was the one who endangered her life in the first place.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." He was face to face with Vicki in a flash, cupping her face to reassure her.

"Yes, I do. I should have asked you about the case and Mary coming back…I was wrong."

She said it. It wasn't easy for Vicki Nelson to admit she was wrong, it was damn near impossible. But, she felt the need to explain her actions and to ease her partner's pain. Sometimes, admitting the truth was best, and she didn't feel so bad about it.

"Vicki Nelson admitting she was wrong?" He said in a mock tone, with a shocked expression.

She hit his arm playfully and chuckled, finally breaking the tension between the two.

"I can admit when I'm wrong", she said looking at him, then changing her answer as Henry raised his eyebrow at her, "okay sometimes."

There was almost a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two, looking awkwardly out of place as Henry put his hands in his pockets and Vicki looking around for some sort of escape. Her hair was wild, her sweater was lazily placed on, and his shirt, well it was still on the floor.

"I think it's time for me to go," Vicki said staring at the door, looking a bit uncomfortable for a minute, not knowing whether to go or stay with Henry after all that happened.

Henry didn't want Vicki to feel any more uncomfortable that she already was, but he decided that she should stay anyway, lessening the tension by eating popcorn while watching some cheesy horror movie.

"You could always stay; I won't press you to do anything you don't want. But, we could always finish what we started," he said, his mouth curved into one of those famous Henry Fitzroy smiles.

Vicki thought about it for awhile, and decided to herself _what_ _the hell; I've already made out with him, and practically almost had sex_. She walked in to the other room where the TV was and yelled:

"Yeah, wouldn't want to kick your ass and to the second question, that would be a no; you had your chance," plopping down on the couch. He smiled; well at least she wasn't boring and would always have a joke for every situation. Henry walked into the kitchen to make the popcorn for the two. He came into the room with the bowl of popcorn and smiled; glad indeed that Vicki wanted to stay. He sat down beside her and handed her the bowl.

"Thank you Henry."

Henry smiled, glad not that she gave in, but she was comfortable being herself around him, not the tough facade she carried around. He wanted her to know what he felt and how much she really meant to him, but at the same time, he didn't want to press Vicki into anything she wasn't ready for.

The kiss said enough.

_Hope you guys enjoyed…sorry it's so long. Reviews are great, it lets me know that you enjoy he story and what you think. I'm working on finishing the next chapters so check them out soon!_


	7. New Lies

**Again no copyright infringement indented!!! All credit goes to Tanya Huff and the creators and writers of the show.**

Vicki was beyond irritated. First, all their possible leads on the girl were hopeless-Mary hadn't been by in days, her other clients were becoming frustrating and to top it all off, Henry was clouding her mind, again. She couldn't help but smile at his charm, his alluring smile, and his cool hands sliding up and down her body.

_Nelson, get your thoughts together._

Vicki went to her desk and scattered out all her cases so she could get to work. She thought about the two cheating husbands and the missing kid. Soon, her mind drifted, and her thoughts soon became mini fantasies of Henry.

_Of his gentle stroke_

"Vicki I think we may have a lead…"

_His soft lips caressing her_

"…Johnson and I think he may know our- Vicki, are you even listening to me?"

_His beautiful alluring eyes staring down at her body._

"Vicki!"

_Kissing all the way down to her…_

"Fantasizing about having sex with Henry again?

That comment snapped her out of her concentration, feeling embarrassed for a moment.

"Yeah, I thought that'd snap you out of it." Coreen giggled at her boss, who was in her office fantasizing about her partner, but she'd never admit it. Coreen knew mentioning Henry would instantly get her boss's attention. Despite how Vicki tried to hide it, her assistant knew somethin was going on with her boss and her partner by the way Vicki hardly paid attention and dreamy smiles on her face.

Vicki rolled her eyes and turned away, not wanting Coreen to squeal and smother her with hugs if she knew what happened the other night. "So what have you got for me?"

Coreen brought in some papers and sat down in a chair, while Vick went to her desk to listen what her assistant had for her.

"Well, I think I finally got something. I searched Ashley Bennett's name in the database, which at first wouldn't show up. So, I tried scanning the picture and it gave me an address, no name though, which I'm guessing has changed it once she turned. I checked it and the address seems to be in Toronto; 1462 Cherrywood Ave.

"That's not that far from here."

"The address is listed as owned by a Holden Johnson. Maybe there cousins or distant relatives, or a…" Coreen didn't finish as Vicki knew what she was referring to. Maybe their missing vampire ran away from Mary to be with a man and was hiding there, as anything was possible in this case.

"Well its four-thirty now and my five o'clock cancelled, so let's go find out what Holden Johnson knows about Ashley Bennett."

"I'll get my coat." Coreen gathered her coat and purse, and exited the office behind her boss, locking everything up.

The taxi arrived at 1462 Cherrywood Ave, a two-story red brick home. The hose looked old, but well kept, as fresh paint covered the balcony, and the steps weren't squeaky, well not as loud.

"Vicki, what if I was wrong about this? Maybe this isn't th-" Coreen said, while knocking on the door; she was extremely anxious and worried. _This may be another dead end_, she thought and with another body found outside a club, time was running out.

"Coreen, you did fine. If Mr. Johnson doesn't know who Ashley, maybe he can lead us to someone who does in fact know her."

The two hushed, as a click sounded and the door opened wide. A young woman, who looked no more than twenty, answered the door, warmly greeting Coreen and Vicki.

"Hi. Can I help you ladies with something?" _She looks awfully familiar_, Vicki couldn't put her finger on it…

Coreen was the first one to speak, breaking Vicki's concentration. "Uh yes, is there a Mr. Holden Johnson here?"

"Oh yeah, hold on," she closed the door partially and turned her head towards the stairs, "UNCLE! SOMEONE'S AT THE DOOR FOR YOU! She turned back around to smile kindly at the two, being as hospitable as she could, "You guys can wait in the living room for him; he'll be down in a minute. Would guys like something to drink?"

The two answered yes, entering the warm home, while the younger woman disappeared into the other room. The living room was filled with photos of the family and a few portraits of African American woman on the walls. The room seemed to be a show room, filled with crystal in curio cabinets and a grandfather clock in the corner. Vicki was afraid she would mess up the elaborate room, until the young lady came back in.

She sat down the bottles of water on the table in front of her guests and started to speak. "You guys can have a seat, I'm sorry. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I brought some water, hope you don't mind."

Both ladies warmly replied that water was fine, and Riana took that as her cue to speak again, extending her hand to her guests. "I was rude not to introduce myself, I'm Riana."

Coreen and Vicki extended their hands to greet the young lady. Now that they were sitting down, Vicki took a good look at the girl, as a detective none the less. Riana was definitely a young girl of style, yet her gesture suggested simplicity. Her hazel eyes stared at the women curiously, then back into the other room waiting for her uncle. When Coreen asked the girl about the antiques in the room, she smiled saying her mother had a unique sense of style. She had a beautiful smile, which was identical to the smile of the woman in the photograph, which made Vicki curious to find out more about the Johnsons and their connection to her missing vampire.

_Yeah, I think I'll keep the whole vampire thing out for the time being. _

Heavy footsteps from the stairwell broke Vicki's steady absorption, and in came a large, well built older man and a woman, stunning as a woman who looked in her mid-thirties. It was probably his daughter, Vicki thought, but the similarities among the older woman, Riana, and Ashley Bennet had Coreen worried they were all somehow connected.

"Hello, I'm Holton Johnson. How can I help you pretty ladies?"

"Mr. Johnson, my name is Vicki Nelson, private investigator and this is my assistant Coreen Fennel. I'm here to ask you a couple of questions ab-"

"Private investigator? Is this about my taxes, because I paid them people! The Man is trying to put my down, you see that Lizzy, Riana!"

The older woman came to his side and touched his shoulders to release the tension. She chuckled lightly, patted his shoulder and spoke in a soft voice. "I'm sorry ladies; my uncle is a bit-"

Riana cut her off, nearly mumbling her next words, and took a swig of the bottled water. "A bit senile maybe? Or crazy, take your pick."

Vicki looked confused, but realized the man thought she was trying to audit him and quickly wanted to clear up any misunderstandings between them.

"No sir, I am not here because of your taxes. I'm here because we have this address listed as the last known residency for a woman my client is looking for, Ashley Bennet. My client believes she disappeared."

"Ms. Nelson, this house has been in our family for many years, and I think I would remember niece or relative by that name, even if I am becoming senile", he said glaring at Riana, who rolled her eyes at her uncle. "Do you have a picture of this young woman? Maybe she lived next door on; they usually get our addresses mixed up all the time."

"Uh actually yes I do." Vicki reached in her coat pocket to hand the picture to the old man. When he looked at the picture, his eyes widened in shock.

"Wh-where did you get this?" He found that he could barely function, let alone speak about the unknown woman in the photo. Chills ran up his spine as he remembered that night; the police, the blood, and the deepest pain they all felt in their hearts.

"My client is looking for this woman; she disappeared about a week ago from New York and is believed to be in the city somewh-"

"A WEEK! You must be out of your mind!"

"I beg your pardon sir? This photograph was taken months ag-"

"Like hell it was! This was taken nearly fifty years ago!"

"What? Sir I think you may ha-"

"No, Ms. Nelson, I think your client is lying to you. I know this woman in the photograph and she damn sure didn't take this picture months ago."

"You do? I thought you said you didn't know an Ashley Bennet?"

"That's because I don't. The woman here is not Ashley Bennet Ms. Nelson and Ms. Fennel. The woman in the photo is my sister, Rae Andrews and this picture was taken fifty years."

Coreen's eyes widened in shock as the words of Mr. Johnson replayed in her head. She knew something was fishy about Mary Delacroix and now she had her proof. She looked at her boss, who face was filled with uncertainty, confusion, and shock.

_Why couldn't this have been a normal case? _

_Well besides the fact that my client is a vampire witch looking for another vampire. _

_Wait till Henry hears this…_


	8. and New Truths

Mike heard cries of help coming from the back alley. He slowly reached for his weapon and proceeded down the alleyway. Once he peeked around the corner, he could see a man being attacked by…a woman? She held a tight grip on the man. As he was slowly losing consciousness, Mike knew he had to act immediately: 

"Police, drop the man gently and step away from him."

The woman stopped, and harshly threw the man into the garbage behind him. She turned around slowly, enough for the detective to watch her seductively lick a drop of blood from her mouth.

_Vampire. _

_Dammit._

Mike shook off the thoughts and finally examined the young woman before him, who nearly killed the man moaning on the ground. She was dressed in a tight fuchsia dress on with matching heels. Mike couldn't imagine anyone, a beautiful young woman for that mater dressed like that, blatantly attacking someone. Then again, she wasn't your average woman. The young woman moved slowly, but Mike was firm, gun in hand.

"Don't move."

She obviously didn't care for his order, and she moved slowly around him and the two began to circle one another; Mike with his gun steady and the girl covered with a smile on her face.

"So Detective-," she said while momentarily staring down at his hip, "Detective Celluci, aren't you gonna shoot me? I've been a bad girl."

"Don't give me a reason to miss. But you will have to come in for attacking him," he said pointing to the man on the ground who still laid there in pain, blood seeping on the bags.

"Yeah that's gonna hold up for ya, a 150-lb girl attacking a man the size of a linebacker? Yeah I can't wait to hear that!" She chuckled, trying to aggravate her male opponent.

With speed beyond comprehension, she was face to face with Mike; she gripped the gun and held it to her chest tightly.

"Well shoot me then Detective." She stared at him intently, waiting for a reply. She smelled the faint smell of some cologne, but not the one he was wearing. It was the scent of another vampire.

Henry.

Her sly attitude turned into hate and her eyes clouded with a silver pigment. She pushed the detective hard into the wall, and went to grab the gun in between the two. Mike tried to get up quickly and get the gun knocked from his palms. By the time Mike got up, the woman was swinging the gun in her left hand and the bullets in her right.

"See now Detective, I was just going to have a little fun with you, but now I'm pissed off. I guess I can send them a little message; tell Henry I'm waiting for him."

"What in the-"

Mike didn't get the chance to finish his words as total darkness filled him.

- - -

"We'll at least she didn't kill you."

Mike glared at Vicki, who innocently made an expression of 'what?!' on her face. Vicki stood next to Mike in his hospital bed, while Henry stood next to the window, looking into the night of his beloved city. Mike was admitted nearly two hours ago, after a group of kids came from a nearby club spotted him unconscious on the ground.

Yeah, I should be glad she didn't tear my throat out. Mike said sarcastically, buttoning his shirt back on. He wasn't hurt badly, just minor scratches to his back and face.

"It's good to see you still have your humor Detective"

"Well I'm definitely not glad to see you Fitzroy, why are you hear anyway?"

"I offered to escort Vicki here to see of your…condition when we heard what happened."

"Yeah, I bet you were doing more than escorting her he mumbled in his breath and

"Mike, grow up. We care about you; we were just making sure that you're alright, which I can see you are. Now we need to find out why she did this?"

"She? You know who it is?"

She hesitated a moment before replying. She outweighed telling Mike the truth or lying to him. Since he was attacked by their alleged missing person, they needed to help one another find her, and fast. We think our missing girl did this to you, i.e. this missing girl from your crime scene. She waited to hear Mike's rant, and she wasn't wrong when she saw his face beam red.

What!? You mean to tell me she's some killer vampire running around and you failed to tell-"

Now hold on there Mike. I did tell you , but as usual do you want to hear it if it doesn't involve demons, vampires, or ghosts…no so therefore it's not my fault."

Because that's your conclusion for every case. If it's not a damn vampire, it's a demon or something else. I'm tired of this shit Vicki!

"Whoa, Mike you need to cool-"

"And you know what? I'm tired of Fangboy here having his little fan club you have in my city!"

"Mike, leave Henry out o-"

"Leave him out?! Like hell I will, he's the reason I'm in this damn place!"

Without hesitation and in seconds, Henry was in front of the Detective, irritation rising in his face. "If you have something to say, Detective Celluci, then I suggest you say it to me." Henry stood his ground, waiting for Celluci to make a stupid move and giving him the excuse to knock him in the wall. Mike was rising from the bed when Vicki intervened.

"Hey you two cut it out now?"

The arguing between the three brought in complaints and a nurse was instructed to cease the noise, who kindly informed them of their behavior and upon the doctor's request, to kindly escort them out. Nurse Becky came in between the group and spoke softly.

"I'm sorry but you two will have to leave. Mr. Celluci needs his rest and to keep that blood pressure down," she said patting Mike on his shoulder and then checking his vitals.

Vicki went to protest but Henry grabbed her hand, signaling that it was indeed time for them to go.

"Okay", she mumbled and the nurse walked out of the room. "Mike, I'll come by tomorrow-"

"Yeah whatever." He still had a smug, angry attitude, but Vicki was used to it. The two went down the hall before they heard Mike's voice.

"… but you better bring some decent food when you get here! Hey, get you hands of me lady geez!"

Vicki and Henry exited the hospital doors, when an idea hit her.

Henry heard the wheels turning in her head before she even spoke. "What are you thinking about?"

_Obviously not me._

"The other attendant from the morgue might still be here; we should go question him about what happened, maybe get another lead?"

"You mean I use my 'persuasion' as you like to call it and _you_ talk to him. I'm staring to think you only like me because I'm a vampire," he said in a mocking tone and smiling at Vicki.

She thought about his comment for a minute and smiled mischievously, going to his ear to whisper. "Because vampires, especially very sexy ones with great smiles, turn me on. Now come on let's hop to it." She said, going back inside the hospital's slide doors, leaving Henry standing outside wanting more.

_Leave it to Vicki to do something like that._

He walked in after her, walking over to where his partner stood. Vicki went up to the receptionist and began to speak. "Hi, is Mr. Maurice Harper still available for visitation?"

"Yes, but visiting hours are almost over and only family and close friends are allowed in his room." The receptionist said, not looking up from her desk.

"I'm his um, girlfriend…Shelly Jones."

"His wife already came by, nice try lady," she said looking at Vicki for a brief minute before glancing at the visitation log. Then it hit her. "Oh you must be the 'other woman' huh? Not my business," she said handing her the log to sign in. "Visitation will be over in twenty minutes." With that, she went back to computer to enter the charts in for the night.

Vicki signed a fake name, and returned to where her partner stood.

_Well that was easy_

Maurice's room was on the third floor, along the corridor. He sat upright in the hospital bed, staring at the stars in the window. He heard Vicki and Henry come in, and spoke while still looking out of the window.

"You two can have a seat and question away!" He said, sounding sarcastic, tired, and hoarse.

Vick knew Maurice had probably been through a rough time with the police and media, but she needed him in order to get a lead on her case, but it seemed unlikely, but it was still worth a shot. "Hi, I'm Vicki Nelson Private Investigator and this is Henry, my partner. I'm here to ask you about-"

"Haven't you heard all of it already? I think I told the police ten times and reporters five times and my story never changes! I can't remember anything. I remember going to the morgue that day, but I wasn't there that night and I woke up in the hospital! The said I was unconscious in my car at my house. I don't think-I don't know what to think anymore." He sighed heavily; frustrated that he couldn't remember anything.

Henry spoke before Vicki had the chance. "Is there anything else? We may have a lead on the murderer but your testimony might help catch h-them." He knew Maurice wasn't lying, but any information could help them out.

"No. I want to help, Donald w-was my friend and I wasn't here for him..."

"No it wasn't your fault." Vicki finally spoke, going to face Maurice and looking him straight in the eyes. "Listen, I'm working to find the killer, so if you so happen to remember anything or you need anything, don't hesitate to call my office," she said, handing him her business card.

"Thank you two, for not judging me for this. If I could remember anything I would tell you. For that I'm sorry. But being sorry won't change what happened."

Vicki and Henry exited Maurice's hospital room and out of the hospital arm and arm. No words needed to be said as they knew their investigation just got a little more complicated.

"Well that was found written in blood on the wall near that of Donald Chambers. The other, Maurice Harper was found in his car unconscious outside his home." Henry reread the report Vicki handed him, trying to deviate any details they missed.

"So what did the other attendant have to say?" He looked up at the sound of the PI's voice, whose choice to dress in jeans and a sweater made Henry's insides warm like never before. He loved the woman before him, loving her stubbornness, her beauty, and her smile. Vicki rose from the chair and walked to approach him. Instantly, the memory of Mary sauntering seductively towards him with a see through nightgown on clouded his head. He rubbed his eyes to get the image out, looked up and instead saw Vicki wearing the same outfit, hair hanging off her broad, beautiful shoulders. He blinked what seemed like forever to get that imagine out of his mind and finally, it was gone.

It took him a few seconds, but Henry finally managed to form a sentence. "H-he doesn't remember being at the morgue, but he was found in the video tape Detective Celluci showed us. From my guess, she used her powers to make him forget."

Vicki was puzzled. _Why would the girl kill one and not the other?_

"But that doesn't explain why she killed Donald and not Maurice?"

Coreen looked in deep thought, thinking of the correlation of those words and their client and suddenly jumped up, certain she knew the answer they were looking for. "Vicki, I think this is harder than we thought."

"What is it? Rae is on a revenge path trying to get back at Mary and kills at random?"

"Not exactly." Coreen stood up unsure, than with certainty went over to the pile of books on Henry's table and pulled each one out, flipping around.

"I remember seeing those words in one of these books of spells and I think Mary has cast a spell on her."

Vicki went over to Coreen, mumbling under her breath at the marvels of book in his study. "For someone who hates magic, you sure do have a lot of books on it.

Henry heard Vicki's words and bit back anger. He sucked his teeth and proceeded to answer her question in a stern tone. "I keep the books so that no one can use them to bring damage to this earth. They are safe here because I know I will not be tempted to use them, unlike some of us who use it perform rituals-"

"Henry, do we have to do this every time? I used it to save your life, end of story. Now can we concentrate on finding your ex's vampire child who's on a killing spree in Toronto or do you have something better planned?!" 

Henry could hear the tension in her voice, her blood pumping faster by the minute. He was still upset with Vicki for performing a dark ritual and stabbing him with his sword. But he knew she did it to save his life, despite his interjections. He decided not to press the matter any further and continue to look for Rae.

"Got it! I knew I saw those words somewhere. I went through these books to see if Mary was using magic, and I fou-"

"A spell I suppose?"

"Yes, in this book", she lifted the ancient book, "it is apart of a binding spell, to bind one to another in servitude and eternity."

_Свяжите моего возлюбленного со мной_

_для вечности, пока мои дела не тот_

_Свяжите ее душу со мной и только меня_

_Май тайны нашей крови связывает нас_

_Только быть показанным в смерти_

"I'm sorry, but for those of us that didn't take Russian 101, can you please translate that in English?

"Oh, sorry Vic. It's says Bind my lover to me, for eternity until my deeds are one, Bind her soul to me and only me, May the secrets of our blood bind us, Only to be revealed in death…

Henry thought silently to himself on the words Coreen recited and quickly rose from his black leather chair. "I know that spell."

"Wait what- you know it?!"

"Yes," he went over to Coreen and grabbed the book from her hands, and started glancing over the pages, flipping furiously. "She tried to use this spell on me decades ago, but I stopped her from finishing.

"She tried to bind you in servitude? That's sick Henry. No wonder you hate her so much."

"If it is this spell that holds Rae under Mary's control, then Rae is-"

"…Only killing because she's commanded to." Vicki finished Henrys thought's and he nodded in agreement.

"That means she killed that man in the morgue because of Mary? What did the morgue assistant have to do-"

"Maybe she was just hungry,"she said as both Henry and Vicki looked at her curiously, "I mean think about it, if you use someone or something as your slave, they do what you say because they want to survive right? Maybe Mary was starving Rae or something happened to her, and Mary is using her hungry and anger to control her all at once.

Henry looked at Coreen in agreement. "That makes sense. We are solitary predators, we feed on what we need and move on. But when someone else is in control, we do what is necessary to survive. Using Rae's hunger is an easy tool for Mary to manipulate, but we can always shield ourselves from the spell with enough focus and control."

"So what we need to find out is why she's binding Rae to her. I mean there has to be a least a logical explanation for it."

"Love maybe? Remember Mr. Johnson said that the woman his sister befriended, Marion, followed her around, wrote love letters," Coreen stated.

Vicki never thought about it that way. _Love?_ Love made Henry into a vampire, lost love made Vicki have trust issues, why not love be the reason Mary's doing this for. But what has Henry have to do with any of this?

"I can look up more on Rae Andrews; see if I can find anything on her," Coreen said interrupting her boss's thoughts, typing in Mary's name to see if they missed anything on her first. She instead found another name with the exact same information as Mary's but with one minor detail.

"Looks like our client had something to hide besides her face," she said turning the computer towards her boss and her partner.

She looked at the computer screen and saw it: The names of Mary Delacroix and Marion Delaney. Same description and same birth date but no death dates.

_Son of a bitch._

"How much you wanna bet these are the same person?"

"How do you figure?" Henry came towards the two, who stared intently at the computer.

"Because these women," she said turning the laptop towards Henry and pointed at the two profiles, "have the same birth dates, no death dates, same school records, it's almost identical except the car registration, but they're the same model, just different colors. That is no coincidence

"So, you're saying?"

"She's saying that she's the ' Marion'", Vicki emphasized with air quotations, "Mr. Johnson talked about being the last person to see his sister Rae, ergo ' Marion' _is_ Mary."

Henry looked astounded at all the information that hit him. Not only was his crazy bitch of an ex back in town, she dragged her child with her, for wicked purposes nonetheless. She made up the whole story, probably to drawn them in and for him to clean up her mess again…

_Clean up her mess?_ Henry thought about that notion for awhile.

_He suspected Mary killed a couple nearly forty years ago outside the city limits of Toronto. He only found the husband, but smelled someone else's blood; a woman. He cleaned up her mess, but left the body for the police._

Then, it hit him. His past was really coming back to haunt him and bite him in the ass. His eyes quickly widened in shock at the revelation and shook his head in disbelief. This was her motivation for the kill, her lose. His careless mistake for not seeing for what Mary was caused her grief and now she was after Henry and everyone he cared for.

His silence made Vicki curious and worried; she knew something was wrong.

"Henry what is it?"

It took a few minutes for Henry to formulate a response, but he knew all to well that Vicki would drag it out of him eventually, so he needed a plan.

"I think our problem just got worse."

Vicki looked confused and wanted to know exactly what her partner was keeping from her.

"Henry, what isn't it you're not tell-"

"Vicki," he hesitated to saying anything further, but wanted to save it for another night, "…it's getting late; why don't we talk about this tomorrow?"

Vicki opened her mouth to interject, but Henry was too quick for her jab. "Vicki, I will tell you everything and we'll go from there…tomorrow." His eyes pleaded with hers to understand.

Vicki glared at him for a minute before rolling her eyes and pushing past Henry to get her coat and calling towards Coreen in the living room. "Come on Coreen, let's call it a night." She said, looking at Henry while she spoke.

Coreen put the books back in Henry's study and went to get her belongings. Vicki and Coreen walked to the door, walking out. Coreen told Henry goodbye and walked out of his apartment. Vicki stared at Henry for another minute before walking out, mumbling bye to her partner.

Henry wanted to tell Vicki, but he needed to push Vicki aside until he could find Mary's child and deal with her immediately. If this is what he thought it was, then all those around him were in danger.

Mike was the first example of the start.

Who was next?


	9. Missing

Vicki opened the door of her quiet office, only minutes after sunset. She went to have coffee with Mike at the Moe's Coffee Shop. She was glad that he only had scratches and a few bruises with his run in with the vampire. Vicki was furious, but glad his wounds were healing quickly. Now that Mary disappeared, they needed more than ever to find her vampire child, before someone would have a fatal run in with her. She looked around her office; the lights were on, but no Coreen.

"Coreen? You in here?"

She looked around, and then gave up looking. Maybe she went out for something to eat and let the lights on. She knew calling her would be her best option. After the first ring, she heard a little noise, like a bee buzzing around a flower. When Vicki went to follow the buzzing noise, she entered the bathroom and found Coreen's green cell phone on top of the sink. Now she was increasingly becoming worried.

The papers on her desk whistled, bringing a gust of light wind into the room.

"Henry about time, we ne-"

Vicki stopped in mid-sentence, surprised as someone walked into the room, that someone not being Henry. Instead, she saw Mary walk into the room, a smirk dancing around on her pale face.

"Vicki it's wonderful to see you again."

"What do you want Mary?" Vicki was not happy to see the other woman. She despised her for lying to them about her missing 'child' and to Henry. She knew Mary was up to no good.

"Well, to talk about my case silly, what else?" She way toying with Vicki, biting her time until the deed had to be done. She knew Henry all too well, and that he'd be here soon, so she had to rush the process a bit.

"There is no case Mary, we know you lied about Ashley, her turning a year ago-"

"Oh? And what did I lie about exactly?"

"Her name wasn't Ashley; it was Rae Andrews. She was a college student in the 50's. She went missing a year later from her home, the same night her husband was murdered. They never found her body, which I'm guessing you know that already and took the body yourself."

"Are you talking about this body?"

A voiced came from the darkened part of her office. Vicki looked around, though with poor vision, her search didn't go as well. Soon, a figure came from out of the shadows, and Vicki nearly gasped at the young woman from the photo. She was a petite young woman, dressed in jeans and a black button up shirt.

Vicki didn't want them to think she was scared, so she used her sarcasm to lighten her fear.

"Well at least you dress like you're alive, nice shoes by the way."

"Ooh a sense of humor, I like that. Too bad you won't live to use those witty comments on anyone else, especially not that pretty assistant of yours." She opened the closet, with an unconscious and bounded Coreen falling to the ground like a brick.

"What did you do to her!" She said, making her way towards her assistant.

It was Mary's turn to answer, and halting Vicki's step in the process. "She's not dead, Ms. Nelson, just a little stiff. Don't worry, I might have a change of heart and NOT kill her."

"So what do you want with me? Asteroth sending something else to do his dirt-"

"I assure you, Ms. Nelson, he did not send us. But, killing you might bring a reward from him; we'll see."

"So again, I ask what do you wa-

"I-We want your bastard vampire lover, and the only way to get him of course, is through you."

Vicki was a little frightened by all this, what did they want with Henry? Henry told her the story of his and Mary's past, the messes he cleaned up after her. She cursed herself for trusting Mary from the start. She should have listened to Henry, but she'd never say that out loud, not even if she was going to die.

"What does you want with Henry, beside the obvious Mary?"

She chuckled at the blonde's comment. "Honestly Vicki, if I wanted Henry," she said stepping closer to Vicki, pinning her almost in the corner of her office, "I would have him. But it's payback time."

"Yeah can we just take her and kill her now, I'm tired of waiting. This bastard-"

"Not yet, my pet, we shall tak-"

"Your pet? Do I look like a fucking dog to you?! Do you realize what I can do, my ability. I could kill you now," she said grasping her sire's throat with vampire speed. She was tired of the small talk; she wanted Henry dead now. Her patience was running extremely thin, especially with her sire, who promised her freedom after Henry was dead for sure. "He will pay for killing them Mary, don't you worry. Just don't get in my way," with that she let go of Mary's neck and started to walk away.

Mary quickly went to her, grabbing Rae's arm and twisting it, pulling her arm to her. She then recited inaudible words to the young girl, winding her down.

_Those must be some powerful words_ Vicki thought and remained stunned, as she witnessed Rae freeze, then fell to the ground crying in pain, weeping as if she were being stabbed repeatedly.

Vicki thought that with Mary winding down Rae, she could use that distraction to her advantage and get away. However, the powerful witch was two steps ahead of her, pointing her finger at the PI.

"Not so fast Victoria," Mary shouted cunningly, halting Vicki's step with an incantation, "I suggest you not move or scream or I'll dispose of you quickly." She let go of her child's arm, who whimpered in pain on the floor. Vicki was disturbed by this, much like seeing a beaten child on the floor crying five years ago when she was a cop. She shook off her remorse for the girl and turned her attention to Mary, who stood inches away from her face. "We're going on a little trip Ms. Nelson, so please be cooperative so this can end quicker."

Vicki frantically tried to move, wanting to get out of here, to swiftly grab Coreen and find Henry.

Henry.

Where was Henry? He had to know Mary was scheming to use her child to kill Henry?

Mary stopped staring and froze. She sniffed the air, smirking at the scent that filled her noise. She laughed loudly and continued to stare at the blond PI.

"Your vampire seems to be on his way; we better hurry then." She looked at the still child on the ground, shouting at her to get up and that there was no time to feel pity for oneself. Rae slowly rose from the ground and walked out of the office, waiting for her sire.

Mary went to Vicki's ear, and whispered an incantation in her ear.

Vicki wanted, needed to fight this, but the power of those words overwhelmed her as her eyes became heavier by the second. Her vision slowly shut down, as did the rest of her body. Vicki fell to the ground, unconscious. Rae came back into the office, instructed by Mary to retrieve the body.

_Do not harm her Rae, her time will come and you will get your chance my child. _

Rae picked up the PI's body as if she weighed nothing, and walked out of the building in vampiric speed. As she was about to lay Vicki on the leather interior of Mary's car, the young vampire looked at the sleeping woman and whispered to her before departing.

"I'm sorry, but this is the only way."


	10. Her Savior

The pounding in her head increased as she regained consciousness. Her vision slowly came back to focus, and soon the blurred images of a warehouse clouded her eyes. She tried to move her hands, but discussed that they were bound behind her, as were her ankles. Struggling for minutes to unloosing the ropes with no success, she gave up, certain there was no way for her to escape. She thought that with years of agility and strength, she could somehow unravel the ropes

Her fear increased as her failing eyes searched for her assistant, fearing the worst. Blood began to drip from her forehead and down her bruised left cheek. Her eyes averted to the young girl chained to the chair not more than five feet in front of her. Her face, though her eyes could not see, was tear-stained and duck tape surrounded her mouth. Her head bobbed several times before she regained consciousness, groaning through the tight duck tape. Her nose suddenly twitched twice at the smell of blood.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When her cell phone didn't pick up, Henry knew something wasn't right; he couldn't shake the feeling he had ever since he woke up. And when Coreen did not pick up either, Henry sped to the office, fearing the worst.

Henry shut the car door and knew instantly that something was wrong. The office lamp flickered lightly and the sound of an erratic heartbeat inside pulsed: Coreen.

He sped inside the office to find a tied up Coreen on the floor with tears in her eyes, struggling to get up. Her heart was beating too fast for someone with a heart murmur; he knew he would have to slow down her heart rate before she became too overwhelmed. He quickly released her from the ropes and soothed her, rubbing her back slowly. After a few moments, Coreen's heart started to pace back to normal, but the tears continued, even as she spoke.

"Henry _sniff_ I-I tried to call y-you _sniff,_ but _sniff sniff_ she was too fast for me…"

"It's alright Coreen I'm here now; tell me what happened."

After the tears disappeared and she collected herself, Coreen told Henry what she knew: she came into the office after visiting with Dr. Sagara. She started to call Vicki, but saw the lights on inside the office and shut her phone. Coreen went into the office and started to speak to who she assumed was Vicki facing the window. When she touched her boss's shoulder, Mary revealed herself, pulling off the blond wig she wore. Coreen reached in her pocket to call Vicki and Henry, but Rae stood inches from her face. She knocked Coreen unconscious and she woke up seconds before Henry found her on the ground.

Henry helped Coreen off the ground and the two started to work and where and how to find Vicki before it was too late…

As she regained consciousness, the essence of a sweet elixir quenched her tastes. She tried to calm the beast within and not give in to the fresh blood calling to her senses. She wanted to be calm, calm enough to kill her sire. She never saw the blow to her left by Mary. She felt betrayed and knew when she got out of this, Mary would pay. But that idea seemed distant as Mary controlled nearly her every move. She regretted listening to her gut when she first met Mary and deep down, she knew Mary was just using her. First Henry would most certainly die…then Mary.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Now that's weird."

"What is?" Henry said, wasting no time to look at the computer screen.

"The spell; it binds two people eternally", Coreen stated, looking straight in the vampire's eyes. She walked from the desk and retrieved a few books from the couch.

"So what exactly are you saying? That Mary purposely bound her and Rae?"

"By the looks of it," she said flipping through the contents of the book until she found it, "yeah she did?"

Henry walked swiftly to the assistant's side and examined the ancient book.

"That doesn't make any sense; why would you enchant a spell without knowing the consequences?" He walked a few inches away from Coreen, trying to wrap his head around this new information. He wanted Coreen to be straight with him and tell him everything so he could go find his Vicki. He knew Mary was vindictive. No telling what her child was like either and two vampires is hard to deal with.

"Rae is bound to Mary with the spell, but this spell binds both vampires indefinitely which could be deadly; killing one would mean death for the other unless blood is offered to sacrifice."

Henry stopped pacing the room and stared at the young goth, "I'm not sure I follow."

"I kept looking through this book and another one Dr. Sagara let me borrow on demonology and spells. Mary wouldn't purposeless connect her life with Rae's without a counter spell or a spell that would unbind herself from Rae in death, but would keep Rae bound to her will in servitude. That counter spell requires a sacrifice of an enemy to send to Hell in place of her."

"Henry, you know what this means don't you." It was more of a statement than question.

Henry turned towards the window looking out at the night. He knew what Coreen would say before the words escaped her precious mouth.

"I don't think Vicki's her sacrifice; you are Henry and she's using Vicki to draw you in…"

Silence engulfed the office and for a minute, Coreen was unsure if Henry would move from his current spot, let alone speak. As if on cue, Henry turned to face Coreen, his eyes bleeding black, using none of his hypnotic power. "Bring the book with the counter spell and meet me in the car." He said, gathering his coat and with vampiric speed, sped out of the office.

Coreen wasted no time; she retrieved the books, her bag and locked the office up. She prayed that Vicki would be safe and unharmed by the time the two of them arrived to save her. She slid in the car swiftly, urging Henry to move quickly.

"Take a left on Maplewood."

"This isn't the way to Vicki, I can sm-"

"No, but we need to make a quick stop; they may be the only ones to stop Rae."

Henry was puzzled. _They. _He wasn't sure what Coreen had up her tiny sleeve, but it better be a damn good one or else. Once he stopped the car at the address Coreen directed him at, the young goth rushed to the front door, knocking frantically. Henry rushed out of the car to stop Coreen, wondering what she was planning. Mr. Johnson opened the door concerned that something was happening in their quiet neighborhood.

"Ms. Fennel? Come in come in. What can I do for ya?"

"Mr. Johnson I need to speak with you and I know you won't believe what I have to say, but you need to listen. It's about your sister Rae."

That was all he needed to hear, as he escorted the two inside the living room for a seat. He dreamed of the day the police, investigators, anyone would bring news that his younger sister was alright. For nearly fifty years, he knew his sister was still alive, despite what the police told the family. They were close and the best of friends. Nothing, not even death could keep them apart.

"Ms. Fennel, what's going on. Please be straight with me about this because I've had a lot of grieve over my sister's-"

"She's not dead, well per se."

Mr. Johnson looked at the young girl, processing her words. She looked at Henry for answers, something. He only found truth in his eyes, sending his heart to beat frantically at the news that his sister survived after all. He felt her near, knew that one day, she would come back to them.

"I knew it! I can still feel her presence, her energy. My Rae is still out there."

"Uncle, what are you- oh hello again Ms. Fennel and you brought a friend?" The commotion interrupted the older woman from her reading. She went crept downstairs to see if everything was alright and greeted their company accordingly.

Henry extended his hand to the glorious woman, whose delicate sent calmed him. He searched her eyes and knew that he met her before. Her grey eyes were uncanny.

"I know you," she whispered, staring intently and curiously at Henry. Her eyes were hypnotizing, drawing Henry in to only her, blocking Coreen's questions and the sounds dogs barking across the street.

He searched her eyes for answers, wondering if she could even remember those days. He hoped she was the same person, the same child who frail body clung to his after a vicious attack; the same one who drew her out imagination, fascinating the undead prince.

When realization finally hit, she gasped in surprise and sprung her arms around his body, her heart beating in flutters. Her embrace was familiar, like a small child grabbing on for life as her captor came to save her. He sniffed her body, her blood and realized how familiar she indeed was. Never had he smelled her before in the city. So he squeezed tighter, the sight of his small act of humility in his arms.

Coreen and Mr. Johnson stood in shock, watching the scene before them unfold. Neither were really sure of what was happening, let alone wanted to interrupt the intimate moment before them.

"Catalina, do you know him?"

After a few minutes, she let go of the young man, and cupped his face tenderly in her frail hands. Her thumb rubbed his cheek, reminded of the feel of his cool, smooth face once again. A single tear of joy rolled down her eyes, causing Henry to quickly wipe the tear away. Only the two of them understood this new touch of fondness, remembering the day that changed their lives forever.

"He saved me." Those were the only words her mind could say. So many emotions filled her at this moment, feeling the weight off her shoulders finally. He was the same as she remembered medium height, sandy brown hair, and the voice of an angel. One would think a memory would fizzle after forty years, but she kept the memory as a secret, keeping her happiness to herself and away from anyone else who could tarnish it.

"You haven't aged a bit my prince."

- - -

_Now what's that all about? Hmm you'll find out soon enough._

_Reviews would be awesome guys…I'm near the end of my story finally lol two…maybe three more to go, we'll see!_


	11. Help Within

"_You haven't aged a bit my prince..."_

The four of them stood silently for a few minutes, recapping on the scene before them. Catalina removed her hand from Henry, and ushered him and Coreen a seat in the living room. She was the first to speak, trying to answer the questions her uncle and the young assistant had.

"The night my mother and father died, I was home with my family. When the police telephoned about what happened, everyone left except my Nana. She nodded off in the chair as I was playing on the floor beside her. I heard a horrible gust of wind come into the room. I looked up and saw her, something oozing from her hands. I remembered her; my mother was very fond of her friendship. Mariel…Mary something, I believe was her name…"

Coreen looked at Henry, not really knowing where the conversation was going. She only hoped that Catalina could be the key to stopping Rae, one way or another.

"…She grabbed my face and slung me around a few times. I remember crying out a few times for my Nana to wake up; I saw her on the floor unconscious. She scratched my face and…bit down on my arm," she said showing everyone the marks on her wrist, "the memories are still there. I always told people that a dog bit me. I don't think they'd believe a vampire existed and attacked me."

Henry fidgeting in his chair a bit; surely this woman after forty years wouldn't remember him so well. Surely, she wouldn't know that he was a vampire and just her imagination? But her heartbeat never fluttered, not in any instance.

"Anyway, a man came in the door and attacked her. She went down on the ground hard, and lay there for a few seconds. I could feel my energy draining, not really noticing the blood I was losing. The man came to me and licked the cut. Though the scar never went away; it was too deep. He picked me up and the next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital. You would imagine a two year old would be terrified of seeing something from a movie and being kidnapped, but I wasn't. That man was my savior. He came to my side and looked at me, holding onto a cross in his hands. He had beautiful eyes, like the sea. His eyes turned cold and he told me to forget and that's all I remembered…for awhile."

She continued on with her story, hoping the three would understand her struggle with this, to understand that she accepted reality and the supernatural.

"Something was nagging me from then on, like I had forgotten something. In art class, I used to draw an empty face with black eyes, then blue ones. His image never left my subconscious. After I graduated art school, I went through all my boxes of childhood paintings, old books. I came across a beautiful hand crafted china box. Inside was a beautiful rosary." She stopped a minute and went to a drawer to pull out a handcrafted box, unlocking it. She reached and grabbed a long rosary, beautiful in its red and black hues. She looked at Henry, putting the rosary in his hands while gently placing her hands on top of his. She then quietly began to speak. "I could never forget you."

Henry couldn't believe that she remembered all this time. His powers of persuasion worked on her as a child, but only for a short time. She chose to hold on to the memory of the one that saved her life, and for that she could not forget.

The warm touch of her hands reminded him of the little girl he saved long ago. Her skin didn't seem to age a bit; still smooth and warm. He looked down again and reminisced at the tiny hands he held on to, the frail heartbeat he so desperately tried to save. And here she was in front of him. He smiled.

Never removing her hands from Henry's, she looked over at Coreen and softly spoke once more, "My mother is still alive." It wasn't a question but a statement.

"Yes, she is. She's a- she's a vampire. That's why we need your help. Mary has taken Vicki and she has Rae. Rae's been with her…"

"Why would she stay with that evil woman after she killed her husband?! No, that's nonsense."

He had enough. He couldn't fathom the idea of his sister being with a woman who caused nothing but trouble. His blood boiled at the thought of the two of them _involved_, let alone around each other.

"It is alright Uncle Joe. We believe that there are things not seen in this world and things we do not fully understand Coreen. I believe in vampires," she turned to Henry as she spoke; "it's my belief in their humanity that I'm alive today. Now, what can I do to help stop this woman?"

"We'll explain on the way…"

- - - -

She sharpened her nails with the ancient dagger, sighing that the PI was still trying to wiggle her way free from the ropes. "Moving isn't not going to help you Vicki. You're stuck, get over it."

"I should have kicked your ass." Vicki said, her hands struggling to untie the knots in the back.

"Ah yes, you probably should have." She sauntered her way over to Vicki, and forcefully slapped her again, causing a new bruise to form on Vicki's face. "But from where I'm standing, your life's in my hands."

"What do you want with Henry?" Even with the bruises forming, the cigarette burns on her chest, she still sat strong. She would not let Mary see her fear.

"All in good time Victoria. I need you to draw Henry in, which I know he'll come looking for you. Your resistance to our powers, your independence; I think I know what he sees in you," she said as she licked the side of her prisoner's face and slapped her again.

Mary giggled like a school girl at her conquest. Soon, Henry would pay and the ritual would be complete. She walked a few feet away from Vicki, never leaving her eyes off her. She brushed the tears off her child's face, soothing her like a baby. Mary slid the knife to the girl's arms, slicing her skin sharply. Rae whined through the duck tape, more tears running down her face. She felt powerless against her sire, powerless to stop her from reeking havoc once more. She should have let the dawn take her so many days ago. The regrets in her life flashed: the days of her happiness as a human seemed distant, though the pleasures of a vampire have enticed her more. Rae felt she would never avenge her husband and daughter's death if Mary succeeded in killing Vicki and Henry, and ran amok in the city of Toronto. Rae sat silently, though the blood trickling down her arm pained even more; her wound was not healing.

Turing back on her heels and walking back swiftly to her prisoner, Mary forcefully placed her hands on the Vicki's forehead. "These," she said as she drew the words in blood, "are ancient symbols required for the ritual. As my sacrifice, I need you to cooperate so running won't do you any good now Vicki."

She stood tall in front of Vicki and inspected her face, her body, and smelled her blood. "A vampire's whore will work so much better; I can even smell his blood running through your veins." Mary sniffed Vicki around her neck, finding a point where her blood sang to her ears. Mary's fangs easily came down as she pushed her prey's neck down for easy access, and violently piercing Vicki's neck. Vicki knew pulling away would cause her to lose more blood or even kill her, though the pain was eating her alive. Henry used sensuality and pleasure when taking blood, the pleasure of the experience heating one's core. Mary was violent, taking Vicki's blood as a sign of defeat. She let Vicki peek at her time over the decades: meeting Henry, delving into the dark arts, her violent killings, turning Rae and killing her family, and glimpses of her magical conquests. Vicki could see through Mary's eyes; she felt her pain, her anxiety, her pleasure, her fury, and passions for turmoil. The pigments of the visions slowly turned into a grayish tint and blackness soon consumed her sight.

Her last thoughts were of Henry and him finding her quickly before Mary killed her once and for all…

- - - - - -

Henry wasn't sure this plan would work. He hoped Coreen had enough faith in this spell to save Vicki. Counteracting a powerful witch's spell was not easy, only something more powerful could break that: love…

Or the bond between a mother and a daughter…

"I don't think this is a good idea Coreen…"

Coreen felt the same uncertainty in her own head. She remembered the spell she found days ago and flipped though the book on the way to the abandoned warehouse, pinpointing the timing and the only level of interference she knew was needed to counteract any spell: the power of love.

"Henry it's the only plan we have. I know you hate magic, but we need to fight fire with fire. Besides, good always prevails over evil right? She looked at his face, trying to steam some encouragement in him. Their alternative plan…well his plan was suicide – using him as the sacrifice instead of Vicki.

"Coreen, there's alw-"

"No there is not. Your plan is suicide and you know it! This can work, I know it! We just need to have Mrs. John-"

"Cat, call me Cat Coreen please." She gestured her way over toward the young assistant and held her hand, reassuring her that the plan was the best option.

"Cat, sorry. Henry, Rae obviously thinks her daughter is dead. When she sees her, her guard will be down and Mary cannot control her and do the ritual at the same time. Then", pointing at Cat, "she can recite the counter spell. I read it almost a hundred times on the way here, it has to work. It will unbind Rae from Mary and then you can move in and save Vicki before…"

Henry knew that the counter spell had to be recited at the exact moment of Mary nearly completing the ritual. He would have to get Vicki fast before Mary sacrificed her to the devil. It was a tricky plan and their movements had to be precise and fast. And the three only had a few more moments left.


	12. The Truth Shall Set You Free

**I do not own Ms. Huff's incredible 'Blood Ties' series nor the beloved characters we've all come to love. Therefore, ****no copyright infringement is intended so please don't sue: you wont get much**

**Feedback is much appreciated!**

Blood dropped from her forehead onto the cement floor. The headaches increased as the sounds of words repeated. She noticed her position had changed and that she was face up, lying on the ground. She tried to move her eyes around, but with her glasses gone and her already failed vision, it was a lost cause.

She heard voices, rather one defiant voice and another pleading. Her head was throbbing so much, she couldn't understand the voices, and her vision appeared to be losing the game. If she could cry she would, as the realization of her untimely death drew near.

"Why…why are you doing this?"

"Because my dear, you have failed me. You need to be punished."

"I failed you? I have killed **hundreds** of people for you. I have wasted my life being your slave. I have wasted **decades** of roaming this world for what? You?!"

"I **never** asked for - for this!" She said with emphases as her eyes bled black and her fangs descended.

Her sire looked at her nonchalantly, while preparing for the impending ritual. The knife sat in place at the table, as did her ancient book of spells and a bowl of Rae and Vicki's mixed blood and herbs sat. She walked over to the now unconscious PI, and prepared to dress her for the ceremony. She dressed Vicki in a white gown, a cynical move but it was always tradition to dress the sacrifice in white. She then faced her child and spoke: "You would have asked me, given the time. This is the best life Rae! I sacrificed everything for you."

Rae listened and looked at Mary with venom in her eyes. Sacrificed? She would give this bitch a piece of her mind, whether she died for it or not.

"What did you sacrifice? A shopping spree on the expense of old men you brainwashed? A new house in France? A chance to kill other young souls for the chance to kill mine?"

Rae walked a few inches, chains in toe, towards her sire; almost close to her body if the chains hadn't had restricted her steps. "You killed my dreams, my hopes, EVERYTHING I WORKED FOR! I never wanted to be a DAMN VAMPIRE!"

"You should really calm down before I end your life!"

"Kiss my ass," she said as she spat on the side of the floor near her sire's feet. A blind coldness in her eyes filled her spirit. In all her life, meeting her was the biggest mistake. She thought having a friend all to herself would do some good, get her out of the judgments her parents placed on her. Her defiance took over; if this was her death…

_**So be it.**_

"So if you _want_ to kill me so easily," she said, tugging on the chains on her arms, "then kill me. Kill her too if it makes you feel better. But know that you're time will come Marion, Mary…whatever the hell your name is. You make me **sick**, I hate this and I hate you. "So kill me Mary," she said laughing in painful defeat, "kill me!"

Mary looked at her child, guilt filling her empty heart. She turned her in order to love her for eternity. To spend her immortality with the one she loved. But looking into Rae's eyes now, all Mary say was defeat, hatred, and something so cold, it scared her. She let a small tear fall on her cheek as her child turned her head coldly, sliding down to the ground to await her pending death. She then turned her attention to the woman lying on the ground, who softly called out Henry's name over and over.

"Your Henry will be here soon Victoria, but all will be lost then. He'll lose you, then his life."

She went to the table again to grab a paintbrush to paint the necessary, ancient symbols on her body with her own blood. She then moved Vicki into the center of the pentagram and started the ritual.

**Showtime.**

- - - - - - - - - - -

She began to speak the ancient language, calling out to the dark forces to hear her wishes and take her sacrifice as a sign of pleasure to the Dark Lord. A showdown was cast over the skies, urging Henry, Coreen, and Cat to rush into the building. Henry halted their steps and decided to go in first.

His eyes glanced around the room, dimly lit with black candles and a body lying in the center of the pentagram. His eyes glanced to his far left to see the other vampire lying helplessly on the ground, her eyes closed to escape the pain. Burn marks and blood ran down her arms and the rusty chains around her wrists lay steady.

A sultry voice surrounded the room. Henry's eyes bled to black as he searched for the source of the voice. His fangs descended as he caught the sight of his former lover behind the table of blood and sacrificial items. Her fingers scanned the contents of the book as she spoke again.

"Hello dear," she said, finally acknowledging his presence. The beast did nothing to frighten or faze her, but only made her smile in delight. "Sorry I had to start without you. Vicki here is a most cooperative sacrifice," pointing to the well dressed PI in the middle of the circle. Henry could here her blood pumping profusely, trying to replenish itself. He could also smell the blood slightly pouring from her wrists.

"Let her go Mary. This is about you and me."

"Indeed it is my dearest Duke. But why shouldn't I make you pay for all you've done? For hunting me down and killing what I loved? Let's not forget killing my child's family. Ruining her life. I had to save her that night, don't you remember?" She yelled, lying through her teeth.

Rae heard those words, her fury intensifying. She lifted her body from the ground and rushed towards Henry. When the chains restricted her advances, she only grew angrier by the minute.

"You know that isn't true Mary!"

"Oh, yes it is. I know that you slashed her husband's throat for revenge." Her body edged around the table, seductively walking a few step towards Henry. "I know what you did to her daughter too. Draining a child isn't like you Duke."

Rae had enough of the talking, especially when she heard how he killed her only child. The chains seemed easy to break, as she charged towards Henry, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him to the ground. Mary simple laughed at this sight, and went back to the table. She continued to mix the herbs and blood while reciting some more of the spell. It was a lengthy spell, and it needed to be done before anymore interruptions soiled her plan.

The young vampire saddled Henry, slamming his head into the ground twice. She crushing his supply of air with her hands and displaying her hungry fangs a few inches from her face.

_She was stronger than he thought._

"Let him go!"

Rae turned her head sharply at the voice coming from behind her, her eyes bleeding coal. Her eyes sharply took in the sight before her. Coreen and Cat, hearing the commotion, rushed into the room. She stared confused for a second, her vision aimed at Henry then back at the woman standing next to the assistant.

_Her blood smells familiar. Her essence is…like mine._

She couldn't deal with the new found discovery, as tears came down her eyes realizing who she was.

She dropped Henry's head to the ground with her left hand and used her other to release her grip on his neck. Rae got off of the older vampire and cautiously took a step forward. She began to approach her, reaching her arms out to hold her daughter, but stopped abruptly. Her onyx eyes never changed as she stared lethally at her sire, who looked more in shock at the sight of Cat.

"Y-you, you're alive?!" She stuttered trying to get the words out. _This was not part of the plan. She was to be dead!_

"You LIED to me! You knew all along he had nothing to do with their deaths. It was YOU! You killed my husband and then attacked my daughter. You made believe she was dead!" she said shouting and dashing to her sire. Her hands easily slide around Mary's neck, then pushing her up against the wall, knocking over the contents of the blood on the table.

"It was for your own good," she said coolly, even as her child's hands seemed to cut off her air supply.

"Now you will be too!"

Mary couldn't waste anymore time with the ritual, her strength wearing thin. The spell they used was undoing what she did decades ago, as she soon felt the pains of her child. She needed to finish what she had started, and intended to tonight. It took all her strength to push her child of, using what strength she had left to use one last incantation. Her eyes changed to a purplish tint as she recited the words of the spell.

Rae seemed immobilized for a minute before falling to the floor like a rock, hitting the pavement hard. She moaned as the pain erupted in her head. Mary too felt this pain, but set it aside to deal with Henry and his humans.

Mary glided towards her once lover, now enemy. She took him by surprise by aiming her efforts at Coreen. He fell for the trap as he rushed to her side. She punched him hard in his face and kicked his chest to push him up against the wall. The two went at it, as Henry smashed her head in the wall, nearly putting a hole in the wall. She slid to the ground as if in defeat, moaning in pain. He turned for a split second to check on Coreen and Cat; glancing his eyes over at Vicki. Mary recovered quickly as she grabbed his hair, pushed, and scratched his face with her long nails.

"Coreen now!" Henry struggled under Mary's grip, whose onyx eyes now matched his.

"Henry!"

"Coreen start the incantation!"

"Okay okay!" Coreen flipped around the pages for the spell, as Cat tried to lift Vicki up, though her dead weight was not helping. She tried to move her as much as possible out the circle, so that Mary's ritual would be ruined.

"_**The time has come to undo what has been done. Unbind thee of the darkness within, undo as I call forth the dark. The black soul that's cast over her spirit, take leave of her body, shun the darkness away from her soul. Undue the bind of the sorceress's makings!"**_

"You will stop now!"

Mary's hypnotic voice overpowered Coreen, as her eyes grew heavily, the words from her mouth disappeared and she stopped repeating the spell.

"How does it feel Your Grace, to lose all that you care about? To lose the one you love? Vicki's heart is steadily slowing. I've drank **so** much of her blood, I'm tired of it. She dies within minutes and there's nothing you can do."

"The only person who will die is you. You'll never have me Mary; your place is in Hell."

"Not tonight honey, but thanks for the offer."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rae could feel her life draining. She needed, had to put an end to her sire's madness. The woman was now filled with revenge and hate; her black soul would never change. She thought of all the times (what little she shared) with Cat, bouncing her up and down on her lap and watching her take her first step. Tears poured down her face and she felt her hand respond.

She would not become what Mary was; she would not let the beast blacken her soul.

She pulled her inner strength out of the chance to pick up the dagger. It was the only way to stop the spell…

Cat went over to Coreen, whose hands were a bit shaky. She slid the book out of the pentagram, flipping through to find the counter spell quickly and began to read it aloud once more:

"_**I call forth the dark to undue what has been done. Undue the bind of the-"**_

Mary moved within seconds to reach Cat, attempting to silence her once and for all. "I should have killed you years ago."

Mary raised her hand to attack, but her movements suddenly stopped. She howled in pain as she grasped her stomach tightly, screaming. She raised her hand to see blood forming from a wound not of her own.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"

"Henry!" Coreen shouted as both looked over and saw Rae, as her hands unraveled around the ancient knife that appeared embedded into her stomach.

"It's over now," she whispered as she slowly dropped down to her knees, crying out slightly with a sad smile of liberation.

Coreen waited until Mary seemed immobilized to run towards her boss, checking for a pulse and heartbeat. Catalina followed suit, helping the young assistant move Vicki's body completely out of the pentagram.

Henry rushed towards Mary, nearly crushing her throat with his bare hands. All the hatred he felt for Mary rushed before him; he wanted her dead.

**And quickly. **

"I have wasted decades worrying about you; cleaning your messes. Tonight you** will** die Mary!"

"This will never be over Henry!"

Mary's voice was almost above a whisper; Henry's hands still gripped her neck tightly. She knew her plan had failed in killing Henry. But someone needed to die tonight along with her, hoping secretly the PI was dying slowly. With all her might, she shoved him hard a few feet away from them, using her speed to get next to Vicki.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" She didn't notice Henry creep behind her slowly, as if a lion waiting to attack its frail prey.

"Too bad you didn't." As if on cue, his fang quickly descended into her throat harshly, sucking the dear life out of her. Mary howled in pain as she slid to the ground and her vision began to blur.

Henry never took his eyes off of Mary as he yelled out to Cat: "Finish it Cat!"

"_**Unbind the devil from her soul; let the other feel the devil's wrath."**_ She finished her part of the charm, took the book and rushed swiftly to her mother's side.

"Finish it mom…please," she shouted as the lifted her mother's head to read the book.

Rae looked weary at the spell book as she repeated the last words from the book from her dry, cracked lips:

"_**U-unbind m-me from her, take her to the place where the darkness can…can fill her black s-soul. Let me be free from the devil's hold on my soul. Free me from the darkness**_," she said, as the last words came out as a whisper. She laid her head in her daughter's lap.

With the spell now complete, Mary felt her connection to Rae depart. Her unnatural bind on the young vampire was over. She looked over at her child, who lay on the ground in pain. She looked at her face, as tears ran down her cheeks.

With almost a quick flick of his wrist, he cracked her neck, silencing the vampire for good. Almost instantly, a dark force formed out of the pentagram, rushing towards Mary's remains; the devil was coming to collect his sacrifice. Her body decomposed quickly and shattered into a collection of dust. The force swept the dust away and disappeared into the pentagram hastily.

Henry felt no remorse for Mary's tirade, but said a silent prayer for her soul and for God to have mercy on her and himself. He set his full attention on Vicki, who stayed in a state of consciousness. He worried for her, as he sensed her fear and anguish; her slow heartbeat wasn't helping him either. Coreen went to feel for a pulse and found a weak one, a very weak pulse indeed.

"Henry she's dying; save her!" The desperation on Coreen's eyes was that of the desperation he had seen many times before. It was the same desperation that he saw a hundred years ago, when his lover wanted him to turn her only daughter. The same desperation he saw in others, wanting to escape the pains of death's call.

"I will not turn her…"

"Henry, she may die if you don't."

_There was that desperation again in her eyes._

He bent down to raise Vicki's upper body towards his chest. He pushed the strand of hair from her neck, making way for the pulsing vein calling the beast within. He didn't want to turn her against her will, and certainly never like **this**. He couldn't let her die, saying the mantra over and over as his fangs descended from his mouth.

He bent down to grasp her throat, to make the pain go away as soon as possible. His teeth nearly grazed her neck, but as the seconds went by, Henry never plunged his teeth into her skin.

**He couldn't do it.**

"She's not dying Coreen, not tonight," he said, lifted her body with ease towards Coreen, instructing her to take Vicki to the car; he would be a minute.

Coreen stood frozen for a minute, unable to move or comprehend what was happening. Vicki couldn't die,

_Not like this. _

She shook of her thoughts and cradled her boss like new china, carrying her outside. She couldn't help but feel blame. If she hadn't had brought Vicki into this world, this would have never happened. Vicki could have been working on cheating-husband cases and away from the supernatural.

_Now is not the time to feel helpless Coreen_, she said to herself as she replayed the night's events over. Her eyes averted a few feet ahead of her to see Cat cradling her mother's head in her lap, bite marks apparent on her wrist.

"Catalina, hurry we need to g-"

"Go on Ms. Fennel, I have called my uncle; he will be here shortly." She looked up apologetically into the assistant's eyes. The mother she barely knew was in pain and she needed to help her. If this was her once chance with her mother, she would take it with no regrets.

Her eyes then darted toward Henry before speaking. I'm sorry that I saved her. I cannot let you kill her…it-I cannot lose her again. I'm sorry if you feel otherwise by her actions, but…she's my mother…"

Henry was the first to speak, his voice stern, yet gentle. "We will decide her fate…another night. What concerns me is Vicki at the moment." Cat looked and nodded in understanding, though Henry's eyes never left the vampire cradled in her daughter's lap.

"Another night. Save the woman, her heart…her heartbeat's slowing," said the young vampire as she drifted in and out from weariness. The flesh wounds were healing, but the emotional scars of the last few decades would never heal…


	13. Epilogue: Awake

**The end is here my friends, thank you ALL for reading & enjoying my baby lol: No copyright infringement is implied, intended, and all original characters are MINE**

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

Warm rain struck the city of Toronto, with most of its residents welcoming the precipitation. On a certain balcony, Vicki Nelson embraced the trickles hitting her cool face and hair. It seemed like another perfect relief for her life. The incident a month prior to this day seemed almost like a blur to Vicki Nelson. Her emerald eyes glanced down at her wrists and arms, inspecting her 'warrior wounds' as Coreen nicely put it. Her wounds had healed, with the help of Henry, Coreen, and Mike. Coreen took care of her clients (with Henry's help at night) while Mike wrapped up any police business involved in her cases. She was grateful for the break from her job. Her mother called every day since the hospital notified her when the nurses couldn't get a hold of Mike. She was furious when Vicki told her not to come, but her constant (and annoying) calls did make Vicki appreciate her mother, and her life more. Even her visit was a visit from hell, but it was a time her and mother finally, for once, understood each other.

The issue of Rae's stay in Toronto finally came to into question. Catalina had set up a meeting with the group to discuss whether Rae must leave or stay close to the city limits but not IN the city. Henry, usually territorial when a vampire entered his territory without permission, felt remorse and understanding for the young vampire. Vicki remembered his words on the matter:

"_I cannot fault her for something that's hard to control and she's been punished beyond reason, unknowing to us all. I see myself years ago in her, and I feel sorry she had no one to teach her the discipline of the beast within. It can be hard to control, even with years' experience…"_

Vicki snorted at the vampire's sudden humility in other creatures of the night as she closed the balcony doors and entered his kitchen to find a bottle of water. Over the past weeks, the two grew closer. He even convinced Vicki to 'move-in' until her recovery, although Vicki recovered a week after her hospital stay. His tenderness and kindness to all her needs made the brick walls around Victoria Nelson's heart to come slowly down. She felt a sense of obligation to Henry, for saving her life (again!). But she also felt obligated to Henry, not the vampire, but Henry the man.

She decided to sit down on the comfy sofa, as the cool air blew into the apartment, blowing through the big t-shirt she wore. Vicki started to reminisce on the month's events and her and Henry's new found relationship. Henry started to fix Vicki dinner every night and made his habit of leaving to feed less of a habit. He bought her little gifts of appreciation and love. Vicki finally came out of her box, letting Henry in more and more.

- - - - - -

"_You know I'm not…open to-to-"_

"_Letting any one get that close? Actually talking about how you feel?" He said exhausted, fully knowing what direction this conversation was going._

_She ignored Henry's obvious disdain and continued to speak about her feelings. She didn't want to get extremely touchy; it wasn't her style. Therefore, she picked the best approach she knew: _

_**Avoidance**__. _

"_Henry, you have always been there for me. Through all of my bull crap and everything else we've been through together. I just don't want to take a chance of-"_

"_Me actually loving you? Caring for you?" He turned to her again, grasping her hands and looking deep into her eyes._

"_Henry, don't make me do this…"_

"_Do what? Admit that you might actual feel something for you? Vicki I thought we were past this," he said, nearly giving up hope. He could smell her faint desire, what he thought was love and underlying fear. Fear of letting anyone get closer to the walls that blockade her aching heart._

"_It's not that He-"_

"_Then what is it? Don't give me false hope about us. Even a vampire can take so much. Vicki, tell me how you feel?"_

"_I-I don't know," she scrambled for answers, trying to convey her thoughts she wanted to say. She wanted to scream out that she loved him, and she wanted to try, but she couldn't. Her body felt paralyzed by this confrontation and her mind seemed clouded. All her love life, Vicki seemed to push it aside. She figured her personality was too strong for men and that her father issues were playing with her emotions. She didn't want to have a relationship one moment, and have him walk out on her when she needed him most, much like her bastard father._

"_Victoria, tell me __**how**__ you feel? Do you even realize how much I love you? I love you Victoria Nelson, with every breath in my body. My soul aches to be with you. Why can't you see that?"_

"_Tell me how you feel about me Victoria? Do you love me like I do? Or do you even care?" He asked, letting go of her shaky hands, reclining back into his chair with exasperation. _

_She looked shocked upon hearing his declaration of love, but more so at the fact that he didn't see that she cared for him. "Of course I care Henry, you know that."_

"_I only know that you have some feelings for me, as to what, I am utterly clueless." He rose from the leather chair and walked towards his balcony. _

"_You can't feel it? Or hear it every time my heart jumps when I see you," she said, causing Henry to abruptly stop in his steps. He waited for her to continue, as she walked and continued with hesitance, "Every time you come into the room how I feel so…warm inside. I don't know what it is, Henry. It's not easy for me to admit my feelings, even when I'm sure of them. All those times when I nearly…died, I would have regretted not letting you in, not letting you see how I really feel._

_She grabbed his chin to turn his head around, so that his eyes would directly connect with her now watery hazel ones. She took one deep breath and for once in her life, let her heart do the talking:_

"_I love you Henry. But I'm so scared," she said crying softly to escape the pain. Henry rose out of his stance and comforted her, letting her cry on his shoulder. She resorted to her inner child; who spent many sleepless nights rocking and crying herself to sleep, and the depression that plagued her teenage years. The complex exterior of former cop and PI Victoria Nelson descended. _

"_Henry I'm scared…I-I can't lose you, I just can't," she sobbed, letting the many tears fall onto her face._

"_Vicki, I'm not going anywhere. I am not going anywhere." He announced softly, lifting her beautiful face. He looked at the tears continuously falling from her eyes and kissed each one, letting her know that he pain was his own. His lips traveled its way up to his her eyelids, then travelled back down until he met her eager full lips. _

"_Just let me in," he whispered, as his lips reunited with hers._

- - - -

She could remember that first kiss after her revelation. It was sweet and sensual, yet wet. He was a passionate kisser; his lips sent Vicki over the edge each time she watched his lips move slowly and the ways they curved into a perfect sly smile. Vicki's face lit up ever time she reflected on that kiss and the subsequent kisses afterwards. The two kissed for what seemed like hours, before exhaustion took over. Vicki woke up the next morning, remembering falling asleep in Henry's arms. She smiled again at another memory, recalling their passionate first night together on that rainy night as if it were last night, which indeed it was.

- - - -

_The rain hit the city with fervor once again, much like the scene in the apartment on the fourteenth floor. The two lovers looked at each other; caressing each other's naked bodies carefully and tenderly. Vicki's fingers entwined with Henry's as the two slowly leaned in to a lover's kiss. It soon heated, as Vicki felt herself lean back onto the silk Egyptian sheets. Henry kissed her cheek, moving down to her neck, sucking lightly before moving lower. Henry's lips eagerly greeted Vicki's wanton chest with his cool lips. He showered attention to her already hard nipples, sucking them each lovingly. He nearly engulfed her whole left breast into his mouth, licking and sucking them methodically. _

_Henry was a gentle lover, his hands eager at caressing Vicki's body carefully and tenderly. His sensuality served Vick's every need, as his hands travelled lower to the place she yearned for attention. His tongue licked every inch of her body, from her wet nipples down her chest to her belly button. His tongue eagerly went down lower, slowly sucking n her clitoris. Vicki moaned loudly, loving the way his tongue sucked and flickered on her. His finger also went to work, sliding in and out of her. Her body heated up, become hot with uncontrollable pleasure. His tongue continued to torment her, twirling round and up and down. He blew lightly on her clitoris before sucking it again. Vicki cried out in ecstasy, as her toes curled up in anticipation for her release. Her climax came within minutes, running out of breath from utter bliss. She moved towards Henry and kissed him with a passion and mischievous look in her eyes. She made him sit still, as she went on her knees. She slid her hands down his thighs, almost hitting his ready member. She looked up to see his long, thick and hard member waiting for her. It twitched in anticipation, as her lips came closer to it. She licked the head teasingly, and then sucked on it lightly. _

"_Vicki, please," Henry moaned and grunted, wanting to be inside her mouth._

_She obliged her lover, as she slid her tongue up and down on his shaft and engulfed his penis expertly into her hungry mouth. Vicki sucked expertly, her head moving in sync on his manhood. Henry's eyes rolled back, as she simultaneously used her hand to add to the pleasure. Henry felt in total bliss as his release inflamed him moments later. He picked up Vicki off the floor, laying her down on his glorious Persian red sheets. _

_Their lovemaking was gentle, yet passionate. His lips pressed lightly against her flushed face, staring with her forehead, her cheek, the outer brim of her lips; and finally, to her pink lips. He eased his way into her body, feeling its inviting warmth. He felt like home inside her, as he slowly thrust deep into her body. It didn't take long before his deep thrusts became faster, sending Vicki into complete overdrive. She met him harder with each thrust, wanting more and more of his member giving her the best pleasure. She flipped Henry over, riding him slow and hard. He equally met her thrust after thrust, loving her quick breath and half closed eyes once he hit her delicate spot over again. The two kissed with fervor, sending chills and electricity up their spines. Henry soon lifted up, wrapping Vicki's legs around his waist for a better angle. Henry never felt warm in centuries, and welcomed the warm of her body meeting his, thrust for thrust. Her neck would arch every time he hit her spot, yearning for his need to feed. But for once, he wanted to be a man for his friend, his lover, and his soul mate. As her body came closer to her needed release, she clung heavily to Henry's body, moaning loudly at the pleasures he was giving her…_

- - - -

Vicki could recall having good sex before, long ago. Mike was a good lover, usually only attending to his own need of release after the two became official. Other times, she became bored when her attempts to sex it up failed miserably. However, nothing, _nothing_ could compare to what Henry gave her that night, twice in fact…

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

_Our decisions will forever change the lives of others_

_12:34 A.M.: The Office_

The five of them sat silently in Vicki's office. Vicki sat at her desk, with Henry beside her. Coreen sat on the sofa, pen and paper ready in hand for any notes that should be taken, if any. Meanwhile, the young vampire stood silently by the office window, respecting Henry's request for honor and distance. She looked over at the Detective on the sofa with the perky assistant, regretting beating him up weeks ago outside a club. She saw no more scars on his body, so she assumed they were healed, and everywhere thought past her…indiscretions. She stood looking into the midnight sky, loving the peace Toronto was offering her.

Coreen grew impatient by the silence in the room, and decided to speak first. Surprisingly, Mike beat her to the punch to begin the questioning.

"So what will you do now? I know Fang Boy won't let you stay here any longer," he said, looking at Henry with envy and resilience.

Rae chose her words carefully before speaking. She could feel the tension between the blond detective and the older vampire, but chose not to say a word on it. She knew she couldn't stay in Toronto. Or anywhere else for that matter.

"It's time for me to leave this world. Simple as that."

Mike was confused, wondering if she meant leave Canada or by literally leaving, outing herself in front of the sun. "Leave this world? I'm not sure I follow?"

"Because I do not belong here in this world Detective, not anymore." She looked away, her chestnut eyes gazing into the clear night sky, saddened by her abrupt decision. But it had to be done.

Coreen spoke next, wondering about her daughter and granddaughter for that matter. "But Cat-"

"Catalina does not need me anymore than she did yesterday or the day before. She is doing fine on her own. My brother is there to watch her for the remainder of his life. She has friends, her husband's family, and she has a daughter to care for. Where do I fit in that?" She said, looking at the group before her with a questioning stare.

All fell silent, taking in what Rae was saying. Henry's empathy for her brushed any territorial issues he previously had. He knew she would have to leave the sooner the better, but not imagining she would kill herself for salvation. But, he stood in understanding; the young vampire was too damaged by her past to live on. Coreen also sat in understanding and grieve for Rae's daughter. Mike sat almost confused, but realized that she was doing what was best for her child, a quality he hoped to share with his future children.

On the other hand, Vicki was becoming angry in her chair. She could not understand why she would leave her daughter after finally reuniting with her? "You can't just abandon you daughter like that. She now has the opportunity to get to know the mother who left-"

"Not by choice Ms. Nelson." Rae turned from the window, becoming angry for a second but conquered her demons. "I have already spoken to my daughter about this earlier. I cannot stay here. I can feel your sentiment on the role of a parent Victoria", she said as she watched the PI shift uneasily in her chair. "You still feel the pain of that; it's written all over you. I cannot control the beast within because I never could. No mother would ever stay, when it could do worse to their child than good."

She paused, lifting her sad eyes off the ground to now face Henry, with tears forming. She kept her voice soft but normal, afraid her many tears would threaten to fall and fall uncontrollably.

"You have centuries of experience, fond memories, many loves, and control of what and who you are. I only have memories of pain and hate for myself. How can I stay for them to accept what I cannot control? No good will come from me staying here any longer. I am not leaving my daughter; my spirit will always watch over her and Riana". She paused again, crying and smiling at a sudden image in her mind. "She is a beautiful child and my only regret is not having the chance to watch her blossom further. You may not agree with my decision, but deep down you all know it is for the best. I have come to terms with my demons and now I am ready to face them. I am not afraid to die anymore…

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

_Dawn waited for its entrance into the dimly lit skies._

_Only twenty minutes to go._

The cemetery was a landmark, hundreds of years of past souls lay rest here. Three generations, three women stood in front of their family lot. They started at one tombstone in particular. Rae let the tears roll down as she kissed her husband's final resting place and turned to her family.

"Don't cry Riana. We will meet again; I promise you." She held her tight, hugging the memories and the sight of the granddaughter she would never see again. After minutes of their intimate touch, she slowly let go, kissing her grandchild sweetly on the cheek and wiping a tear from her eye.

"Je vous verrai grand-mère."

"Et je vous verrai, mon bonbon. Je vous aimerai toujours." She was proud that in the last month, she could teach her granddaughter French, the language that stole her heart.

She kneeled down slowly, so that her face met Riana's protruding stomach. She rested her head gently on her stomach, rejoicing in the bitter-sweetness of the situation. One will leave this earth, as another would grown and yearn to be in it. She silently whispered to her unborn great-granddaughter and pushed up off her knees. She would never see this child's face and already, she feel in love with it. Something told her this would be a boy, but she kept that secret in place, not wanting to ruin it for her Riana. She kissed her grandchild for what seemed like the last time and let her leave her side. The cool air flew threw her hair, almost covering the tears on her face. The red scarf dangling lightly from her pale neck flew through the air's travels up and down. Riana took one last look at the woman before her before rejoining her uncle at the car. Rae could hear her cry in her uncle's arms and almost rethought her decision to leave.

_But she knew by leaving, she could finally be at peace. _

She finally turned to the daughter she fell in love with all over again. The past weeks felt like a lifetime of the memories that should have happened. She missed her daughter's first kiss, her daughter's first love and heartbreak, and her wedding. She only experienced these memories though old photographs and stories, none she could ever experience.

"My my, look at you. You have certainly grown into a fine woman and mother. If only I were here to witness what blessings God has given this family," she said, smiling at her daughter, whose every demeanor screamed her father. Her posture was like his, her intelligence and poise screamed her father in every angle. Riana; however, had her grandmother's looks and artistic style.

"It's time my sweet." She knew the time was winding down, as the sun's heat miles away burning her neck. She wanted her death to be quick, hearing an old tale that a sweet death was one approached with a clear heart. She hoped to God that old tale was true; she could not bear the thought of her daughter hearing her screams as the sun meets the city.

Her daughter on the other hand, had to try on last time. "Wait. Please, we can get back in that car right now and leave. I hear the market in Montreal is great."

"I would say a million times yes, if only I could. I can only be with you in the night, never experiencing anything in the daytime. And I think it might be a little hard to explain that I'm your mother, when I look more like your sister."

The two shared a hearty laugh, because each knew it was the truth.

_This was the life I should have had. _

"Adieu my sweet. I will watch over you and Riana forever. Now you must go. It's almost dawn and I don't want you to see me like this. You need to think of the best of me before I die."

"Don't say th-"

"It's true my sweet; now go." She looked deeply into her daughter's eyes, her eyes turning onyx for one last time:

"**I will always love you, and after I leave this place, you will move on and take care of your daughter and her children. Stay strong my sweet and remember the best of me**."

She looked into her daughter's eyes and gave her once last hug, crying silently that alas, her time has come. She let go of her daughter and kissed her cheek one last time. Cat started to walk away, still holding on to the cool warm of her mother's hand. Their grip slowly, but sure, freed. Cat walked down the hill, finally saying to herself that this was goodbye. As she reached for the car door, she stopped.

Catalina ran from the car and towards the sunlight. She reneged on her mother's goodbye agreement; she needed her in her life.

She ran back up the hill yelling, trying to persuade her mother to stay. By the time she reached her grave, she was gone. Lone ashes whisked in the air along with the leaves. The trees swayed as the daylight shone in the air.

"Ah!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, finally letting her frustrations out. She fell to the ground, sobbing for everything in her life. She needed her mother there and when she had the chance to finally have that, she decided against it.

Suddenly, something in the air gently touched her face, a reassurance that everything would be alright. Her tear stained face lifted and looked in the distance to see a figure walking away.

Her mother smiled at her daughter, waving goodbye as she held hands with her husband once more and disappeared into the light. Catalina had the courage to smile again, as another tear rolled down her cheek…


End file.
